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UTAH MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS: A BLUE STAR MUSEUM YEAR-ROUND

Salt Lake City – The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is proud to be among the more than 2,000 museums nationwide participating in the Blue Star Museums program, which offers free admission to all active duty U.S. military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2014.

The Blue Star Museums initiative offers free admission between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but the UMFA offers free admission to military families as well as veterans year-round. “This is a great way for us to recognize the sacrifice made by military families in our communities and to express to them our heartfelt gratitude for their service to our country,” said UMFA Executive Director Gretchen Dietrich. “We hope that by helping people connect with great art we are helping to enrich their lives.”

More than 2,000 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative. This year’s Blue Star Museums represent not only fine arts museums but also science museums, history museums, nature centers and dozens of children’s museums. The complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

“As we kick off our fifth year of Blue Star Museums, more museums than ever are part ofthis military appreciation program,” said National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. “Together with Blue Star Families and more than 2,000 museums, we are proud to help connect military families with the cultural resources in their communities.”

About Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums is a partnership among the NEA, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across the United States. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 26, 2014 through Labor Day, September 1, 2014. Leadership support for Blue Star Museums has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families.

The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps—and up to five family members.

About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families. With help from partnering organizations, Blue Star Families hosts a robust array of morale and empowerment programs, including Books on Bases, Blue Star Museums, Operation Honor Corp, Blue Star Careers and Operation Appreciation. Blue Star Families also works directly with the Department of Defense and senior members of local, state and federal government to bring the most important military family issues to light. Working in concert with fellow nonprofits, community advocates, and public officials, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable. Our worldwide membership includes military spouses, children, parents and friends, as well as service members, veterans and civilians. To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit http://www.bluestarfam.org.

About the National Endowment for the Arts
The NEA was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.