THE VERO BEACH MUSEUM OF ART IS A 2022 BLUE STAR MUSEUM
VBMA to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer
VERO BEACH, FL – The Vero Beach Museum of Art announced it will join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently-serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2021 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 21, 2022, and end on Labor Day, Monday, September 5, 2022. Find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and museums across America.
This summer, Blue Star Families can enjoy Simple Pleasures: The Art of Doris Lee exhibition on view June 5 thru September 18, explore students and Veteran artworks in the Patten Community Gallery as well as enjoy the Art Zone an interactive children’s space.
“The arts play an important role to our overall well-being and now more than ever we are committed to ensuring access for all, and hope our active military and their families will take full advantage of all the Museum has to offer.” Commented Sophie Bentham-Wood, VBMA Director of Marketing and Communications.
“Museums educate and inspire, cause us to wonder and imagine, dream and remember,” said Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “By participating in the Blue Star Museums program, the Vero Beach Museum of Art is offering military personnel and their families an opportunity to feel connected to the Indian River community and to explore the world through the power of arts, culture and design, contributing to each person being able to live an artful life.”
Blue Star Museums include children’s museums, art, science, and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses, and more, and hail from all 50 states, District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The current list of participating museums will continue to develop over the summer as organizations are welcome to register to be a Blue Star Museum throughout the summer.
“Our military community looks forward to the Blue Star Museum program each year and I am excited to celebrate the 2022 season along with them!” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “Thank you the Vero Beach Museum of Art for participating in this impactful program and offering military families the opportunity to enjoy the arts with you this summer.”
The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
Follow #bluestarmuseums on Twitter @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily.
About The Vero Beach Museum of Art
The Museum is the largest accredited art facility on Florida’s Treasure Coast, presenting changing exhibitions of world-class art and its collection of more than 1,000 American and international art objects. It features two sculpture parks, five galleries, public programs from lectures to film studies, jazz concerts, and docent tours. The Art Zone provides hours of interactive play for kids with ten different activity stations and a 25ft interactive sketch aquarium. Make sure you stop and shop the Museum Store for a souvenir from your visit. Museum Admission is FREE on the last Saturday of each month. Admission fees apply. Check the website for more information and hours at www.vbmuseum.org
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families is the nation’s largest grass-roots military family support organization, with a mission to support military families to improve military readiness. Its distinctive approach builds stronger communities around military families through knowledge and programs that address the unique needs of those who serve. Blue Star Families’ nationally recognized surveys and analysis give military families an important voice that informs policymakers and its military family programs. It uses the power of its collective resources and cross-sector collaborations to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of members of military families to strengthen the troops, their families, and our nation as a whole. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org.
