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SAN DIEGO ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER TO PARTICIPATE IN BLUE STAR MUSEUMS
Center one of more than 1,300 museums across America
to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer
ESCONDIDO, CA
- MAY 23, 2011 - Today the San Diego Archaeological Center (Center)
announced the launch of Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts,
Blue Star Families, and more than 1,300 museums across America to offer
free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families
from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2011. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
The Center will officially launch the program on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 with exhibits displaying San Diego
archaeology. Center Director Cindy Stankowski looks forward to
welcoming military families visiting the Center, "Coming from a
military family myself, I know how hard it is when loved ones are far
away. I am very happy to participate in the Blue Star Program to thank
service men and women, especially the families, for their service to
our country."
"Blue Star Museums may be the program at the NEA of which I am proudest," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman.
"Blue Star Museums recognizes and thanks our military families for all
they are doing for our country, and simultaneously begins young people
on a path to becoming life-long museum goers."
"Last
year the success of the inaugural year of the Blue Star Museums program
showed that partnerships between the nation's museum and military communities
are a natural," said Blue Star Families Chairman Kathy Roth-Douquet.
"We are thrilled that 300,000 military family members visited our
partner museums in the summer of 2010. We hope to exceed that number
this year as the military community takes advantage of the rich
cultural heritage they defend and protect every day. We appreciate the
NEA and the nation's museums who chose to partner with us. We also are
grateful to our friends at the MetLife Foundation, the lead supporter
of the Blue Star Museums outreach initiative, whose generous donation
helps make our work possible."
This
year, more than 1,324 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part
in the initiative, including more than 500 new museums this year.
Museums are welcome to join Blue Star Museums throughout the summer.
The effort to recruit museums has involved the partnership efforts of
The American Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children's Museums, and the American Association of State and Local History. This year's Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers, and 70 children's museums. Participants include The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine in Portland, Maine, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles, California, the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, and the Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.
About Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums runs from Memorial Day, May 30, 2011 through to Labor Day, September 5, 2011.
The free admission program is available to active-duty military and
their immediate family members (military ID holder and five immediate
family members). Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active duty National Guard
and active duty Reserve members. Some special or limited-time museum
exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. For
questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum
directly. To find out which museums are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The site includes a list of participating museums and a map to help with visit planning.
Museums that wish to participate in Blue Star Museums may contact bluestarmuseums@arts.gov, or Wendy Clark at 202-682-5451.
This
is the latest NEA program to bring quality arts programs to the
military, veterans, and their families. Other NEA programs for the
military have included Operation Homecoming:
Writing the Wartime Experience; Great American Voices Military Base
Tour; and Shakespeare in American Communities Military Base Tour.
About the San Diego Archaeological Center
The San Diego Archaeological Center was created in 1993 to provide an archaeological curation facility for the San Diego Region.
The Center was the first nonprofit organization in the nation dedicated
solely to curating and sharing archaeological collections with the
public. Planning is underway to create a spacious and light-filled
lobby, enhanced exhibition space, classroom library and research
areas. Our new entryway will feature native plant landscaping designed
to promote conservation, outdoor exhibit and seating areas, water
elements and improved signage to promote the Center as a regional
tourist destination.
The
Mission of the San Diego Archaeological Center is to preserve
archaeological collections and promote their educational, scientific
and cultural use to benefit a diverse public.
Funding for the San Diego Archaeological Center is provided in part by the following agencies
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