First Lady of the United States Melania Trump and Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence to Serve as Honorary Co-Chairs of Blue Star Museums 2019

Washington, DC—The National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families are pleased to announce that First Lady of the United States Melania Trump and Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence have agreed to serve as honorary co-chairs of Blue Star Museums 2019. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel and their families each summer. “We are deeply honored by the willingness of First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Karen Pence to serve as honorary co-chairs of Blue Star Museums for 2019,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “The National Endowment for the Arts continually looks for new and innovative ways to support our military service members and Blue Star Museums is a shining example of that effort. The participation by Mrs. Trump and Mrs. Pence will help highlight the more than 2,000 museums, zoos, gardens, and aquariums eager to participate each year to honor and thank our military families for the many sacrifices they make for all Americans.” "It is a tremendous honor to welcome First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Karen Pence as the co-chairs of Blue Star Museums,” said Blue Star Families Chief Executive Officer Kathy Roth-Douquet. “This amazing partnership between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Department of Defense, and our nation's museums has been beloved by over a million members of military families for the past ten years and we are thrilled Mrs. Trump and Mrs. Pence have agreed to celebrate this milestone with us.” The 2019 Blue Star Museums program will begin on Saturday, May 18, 2019, Armed Forces Day, and will end on Monday, September 2, 2019, Labor Day. Armed Forces Day was established in 1949 under President Harry S. Truman for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country. This program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. More information about Blue Star Museums is available at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. Museums interested in signing up for 2019 should email bluestarmuseums@arts.gov. About the National Endowment for the Arts Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more. About Blue Star Families Blue Star Families builds communities that support military families by connecting research and data to programs and solutions, including career development tools, local community events for families, and caregiver support. Since its inception in 2009, Blue Star Families has engaged tens of thousands of volunteers and serves more than 1.5 million military family members. With Blue Star Families, military families can find answers to their challenges anywhere they are. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org.