MUSCATINE, IOWA (May 12, 2025) — The Muscatine Art Center is pleased to participate in Blue Star Museums, a program that provides free admission to currently serving US military personnel and their families during the summer.
The 2025 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 17, 2025, and end on Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 2025. Learn more and find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America.
"For fifteen years, Blue Star Museums has opened doors for military families to explore, connect, and feel at home in their communities,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “Thanks to our continued partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and participating museums nationwide, we’re proud to continue this tradition of belonging and enrichment. Museums are more than cultural spaces — they’re places where military families feel seen, welcomed, and celebrated."
Join us May 17 for our “For the Love of the Garden” event. There will be a Plein Air painting demonstration in the garden, flower craft projects for kids and families in the studio, displays from the Muscatine Master Gardeners, baked goods for sale from the Rendezvous and a free-will donation for coffee, hot or iced tea, or lemonade. We will feature the Mad Creek Mudcats 2:30-4PM. You can also meet Artist Kimble Bromley, who will paint in the garden throughout the afternoon. Join us anytime 1:30-4:30PM.
In addition to the Muscatine Art Center participants include history, art, and children’s museums, historical sites, botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums, and more, and can be found in all fifty states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The current list of participating museums will continue to grow as organizations can register to be a Blue Star Museum throughout the summer.
The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military — Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, members of the Reserves, National Guard, US Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps — and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
About the Muscatine Art Center
The Muscatine Art Center is open Tuesday through Friday, 10AM-5PM; Thursdays, 10AM-7PM; and Saturdays and Sundays, 1-5PM. The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Call 563-263-8282 for up-to-date details or visit muscatineartcenter.org for more information about programs and events.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
Blue Star Families (BSF) is the nation’s largest military and veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. A “blue star family” is the family of a currently serving military member, including active duty, National Guard, reserve forces, and those transitioning out of service. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $336 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people annually through an expansive network of chapters and outposts. For more information, click here.
