Blue Star program offers free experiences for military families

By Kendra Simpson

Military families are getting free entertainment thanks to some local museums.

To thank them for their service, museums across the country are offering free entry to active duty military members, including the National Guard and Reserves, as well as their families.

The Blue Star Museums program begins on Armed Forces Day, which falls on May 18 and continues until Labor Day on Sept. 2. It aims to improve the quality of life for active duty military families, mainly focusing on the two million children who have had at least one parent deployed since 2001.

“This is great for St. Joe because we have military families that are coming in and out all the time,” said Dansare Lawrence, marketing and communications manager for the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. “They’re moving around the country a lot and so they’re always looking for ways to get to know their community. So this is a way that our community can show up for them to offer them free, wonderful experiences that show off our culture and our art.”

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense, more than 2,000 museums in the United States will be participating in the Blue Star Museums program, including St. Joseph’s own Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art and Remington Nature Center.

“I think that if the military families were to step into these doors, they would understand everything that we have to offer, which includes education and classes, you know, a beautiful museum to learn about history, to learn about art,” Lawrence said.