Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum offers free admission to military families

The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum will once again participate in the Blue Star Museums partnership this summer joining more than 1,300 museums around the country to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Blue Star Museums is a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Blue Star Families and the participating museums. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

“We are so thankful for the members of the military who protect us, our country and our freedoms, and this is just a small way we can show our appreciation,” said Dr. José H. Leal, director/curator of the Shell Museum. “We invite local military families and those visiting our area to enjoy a complimentary day of learning about mollusks and the shells they make at our Museum.”

This marks the second summer the Shell Museum has participated in the Blue Star Museums program. Last summer, military families from Lee County as well as those vacationing in the area took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Shell Museum. Free admission for active military personnel and their families begins May 30 and continues through Sept. 5.

“Blue Star Museums may be the program at the NEA of which I am proudest,” said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “Blue Star Museums recognizes and thanks our military families for all they are doing for our country, and simultaneously begins young people on a path to becoming life-long museum-goers.”

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