Vesterheim Participates in the Blue Star Museums Program

From Memorial Day, May 28, 2012, through Labor Day, September 3, 2012, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum will be offering free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families through the Blue Star Museums program, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families.

For the third year, Vesterheim is proud to join more than 1,500 museums in thanking military personnel and their families for their service and sacrifice. Vesterheim welcomes them to explore the history and art of Norwegian immigrants to America and hopes many families will take advantage of this summer offer.

The effort to recruit museums to participate in the program has involved the partnership efforts of the American Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children's Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. The complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov.

"As we enter the third consecutive year of the Blue Star Museums program, we are happy to provide an opportunity for our nation's service members and their families to connect with our national treasures," said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet.

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. The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education.