WASHINGTON, DC — National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu and Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet announced the eighth annual launch of Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endow­ment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across America to of­fer free admission to the nation’s active- duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve and their families, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The program provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their commu­nity, especially after a military move. The list of participating museums is available at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. This list will be updated throughout the sum­mer as more museums sign up.

     “The Blue Star Museums program is a great opportunity for the NEA to team up with local museums in every state in the nation to support our service members and their families,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “It means a lot to offer these families access to high-quality, budget-friendly opportunities to spend time together.”

     Last summer, more than 900,000 military members and their families took advan­tage of free admission as part of Blue Star Museums, visiting not only fine arts museums, but also science museums, music museums, nature centers and children’s museums.

     Roth-Douquet said service members and their families look forward to the variety of participating Blue Star Muse­ums each summer.

     “Whether they want to blast off at a science museum, take a walk through nature or encounter animals at the aquarium, Blue Star Museums will help service members and their families create memories this summer,” said Roth-Douquet. “This fantastic collaboration with the NEA brings our local military and civilian communities together and offers families fun and enriching activities in their hometowns. We are thrilled with the continued growth of the program and the unparalleled opportunities it offers.”

     This year’s program welcomes many new participating museums, including the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia; the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame Museum in Memphis Tennessee; the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in Hagerman, Idaho; and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.

    All summer long, Blue Star Museums will share sto­ries through social media. Follow Blue Star Museums on Twitter @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily, #bluestarmu­seums, on Facebook and read the NEA Art Works blog for weekly stories on participat­ing museums and exhibits.

      Museums that wish to participate in Blue Star Mu­seums may contact bluestar­museums@arts.gov or Wendy Clark, NEA Director of Mu­seums at clarkw@arts.gov.

      Leadership support for Blue Star Families program­ming and promotional ma­terials has been provided by MetLife Foundation. The effort to recruit museums has involved partnerships with the American Alliance of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children’s Museums, the American As­sociation of State and Local History, the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.