PMoA Participating in Blue Star Museums Program

24 May. 2010

Polk Museum of Art is pleased to announce its participation in Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and more than 600 museums across America. PMoA and other participating museum are offering free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2010.

CONTACT: Meredith Spresser, Public Relations & Marketing Manager, 863-688-7743 ext. 235, MSpresser@PolkMuseumofArt.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/24/2010

Polk Museum of Art to Participate in Blue Star Museums Program for Active Duty Military Personnel and Their Families

Lakeland, FL —Polk Museum of Art is pleased to announce its participation in Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and more than 600 museums across America. PMoA and other participating museum are offering free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2010.

"We are proud to be a part of this effort to honor and recognize our military," said Daniel E. Stetson, Executive Director of Polk Museum of Art. "Our service people and their families sacrifice a lot in order to protect this country, and our decision to participate in this wonderful program was a no-brainer."

Blue Star Museums runs from Memorial Day, May 31 through to Labor Day, September 6, 2010. The free admission program is available to active duty military and their immediate family members (military ID holder and five immediate family members), which includes active duty Reserve and active duty National Guard. 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. More than 600 museums in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are taking part in the initiative.

“America’s museums are proud to join the rest of the country in thanking our military personnel and their families for their service and sacrifice,� said National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman. “I cannot imagine a better way to do that than welcoming them in to explore and enjoy the extraordinary cultural heritage our museums present. The works of art on view this summer will inspire and challenge viewers, and sometimes they will just be a great deal of fun.�

“There have always been wonderful examples of partnerships between museums and military installations, but the scale of this gift from the museum communities to military families is thrilling,� said Blue Star Families Chairman Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Military families work hard for this country, and it is gratifying for us to be recognized for that. We anticipate that thousands of military families will participate in the program and visit museums this summer – many of them for the first time. Blue Star Families will work hard to help our military families make the most of these opportunities.�

Blue Star Families is a national, non-partisan, non-profit network of military families from all ranks and services including guard and reserve, with a mission to support, connect and empower military families. In addition to morale and empowerment programs, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life with civilian community and leaders. Membership includes spouses, kids, parents, service members, veterans and civilians. For more information, please visit www.BlueStarFam.org.

The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts – both new and established – bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the largest annual national funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov.

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