Blue Star Museums

NORFOLK, Va. (May 2013) – The Chrysler Museum of Art will participate in the national Blue Star Museum program by bestowing Museum Member benefits to all active-duty military members and their families this summer. This includes free admission for Third Wednesday performances and significant discounts on all Glass Studio classes and workshops offered between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The Chrysler Museum Glass Studio offers classes in many forms of glass art. Glassblowing and flameworking are certainly popular, but we also offer instruction in engraving, fusing, stained glass—even jewelry making. For a full list of class offerings, see our online catalog.

It’s the fourth consecutive year the Chrysler has participated in the program, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 museums across America. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families.

Most museums in the program offer free admission benefits. General admission to the Chrysler Museum of Art is always free, and since the Museum is closed for a major expansion, the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio was chosen as the best location to thank those who serve our country.

By showing a valid military ID, service members will receive free admission to our popular Third Wednesday performance evenings and significant discounts on Glass Studio classes and workshops offered during the Memorial Day to Labor Day period. Classes must be purchased at the Studio to qualify for the Member discount, but the savings for the military are significant—$175 dollars, for instance, on a Teen Summer Glass Camp enrollment alone. To see the entire list of glass class offerings, click here.

About the Chrysler Museum of Art
The Chrysler Museum of Art is one of America’s most distinguished mid-sized art museums with a world-class collection of more than 30,000 objects, including one of the great glass collections in America, and a new Glass Studio. The Museum campus is located at 245 West Olney Rd., in Norfolk. The Chrysler Museum is closed during 2013 for a major expansion, but the Museum has organized off-site exhibitions throughout the region. The Chrysler Museum Glass Studio and its two historic houses are open. The Glass Studio, located at 745 Duke St., Norfolk, is open Wednesday to Sunday with free glass demonstrations at noon. The Willoughby-Baylor House, 601 E. Freemason St., and the Moses Myers House, 323 E. Freemason St., Norfolk, are open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free at these venues. To learn more about the Chrysler Museum Roadshow exhibitions and regional events, visit chrysler.org or call (757) 664-6200.

About Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 27, 2013 through Labor Day, September 2, 2013. Benefits are 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. Benefits vary by museum, and for questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly.

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 our partners, 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 National Endowment for the Arts 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 www.arts.gov.

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