WASHINGTON—The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) will participate in Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and museums across the United States to offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel and their families, starting on Armed Services Day, May 18, 2024. To obtain free access, visit the ticketing desk with relevant ID. A list of participating museums nationwide is available here.
Blue Star families can take this opportunity to explore NMWA’s collection as well as the exhibitions New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024, in which visionary artists, many inspired by environmental issues, reimagine the past, present alternate realities and inspire audiences to create different futures; Hung Liu: Making History, a spotlight exhibition of the late Chinese artist’s signature “Weeping” paintings and prints; and Holding Ground: Artists’ Books for the National Museum of Women in the Arts, featuring nine new works by celebrated book artists in honor of NMWA and its recent major renovation.
“We are proud to once again participate in Blue Star Museums to honor the service and sacrifice of the military,” said NMWA Director Susan Fisher Sterling. “As a Blue Star Museum located in our nation’s capital, we feel a deep connection with military families and look forward to sharing our collection and exhibitions with them.”
Blue Star Museums include children’s museums, art, science and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses and more, and exist in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The current list of participating museums will continue to grow as organizations register to be Blue Star Museums 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, U.S. 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.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. With its collections, exhibitions, programs and online content, the museum inspires dynamic exchanges about art and ideas. NMWA advocates for better representation of women artists and serves as a vital center for thought leadership, community engagement and social change. NMWA addresses the gender imbalance in the presentation of art by bringing to light important women artists of the past while promoting great women artists working today. The collection highlights a wide range of works in a variety of mediums by artists including Rosa Bonheur, Louise Bourgeois, Lalla Essaydi, Lavinia Fontana, Frida Kahlo, Hung Liu, Zanele Muholi, Faith Ringgold, Niki de Saint Phalle and Amy Sherald.
NMWA is located at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. It is open Tues.–Sun., 10 a.m.–5 p.m., until 8 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month (June through August) and closed on Mondays and select holidays. Admission is $16 for adults, $13 for D.C. residents and visitors 70 and over, and free for visitors 21 and under. Admission is free the first Sunday and second Wednesday of each month. For information, call 202-783-5000, visit nmwa.org, Broad Strokes blog, Facebook or Instagram.
Media Contacts
Amy Mannarino, 202-783-7373, amannarino@nmwa.org
Emma Filar, 202-272-7377, efilar@nmwa.org