Blue Star Museums

By Molly Blake

Neither flash floods nor walnut-size hail nor flat tires will keep Susan Petersen from stopping at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco this summer. 

Susan and her family are moving from Washington DC to California and seeing the history behind Disney, vintage drawings, and even catching a screening of a Disney favorite at the museum is a welcome break from Mother Nature and the monotony of their cross-country drive.

"A PCS can be fairly stressful and tough on the kids," said Petersen. "But having something special to look forward to makes it easier." 

That something special is more accessible than ever this summer since more than 750 museums in all 50 states, including the Walt Disney Family Museum, are opening their doors, free of charge, to military families thanks to Blue Star Museums - a partnership between Blue Star Families, a non-profit organization dedicated to military families, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Museums like The Art Institute of Chicago have joined the rolls as have hundreds of novel spots like The Dallas Museum of Art, G.WIZ, The Science Museum in Florida, The Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, and Oklahoma's Toy and ActionFigureMuseum. And forget dusty sculptures and stuffy, silent walks through art galleries. Patrons can experience a spine-tingling sky-high IMAX theater, explore the physics and wonder of giant bubbles, battle a snarling dinosaur and even watch as famed children's book characters are brought to life. 

In short, these days museums, galleries, exhibits and exploratoriums are dizzying and thrilling and because research consistently shows that exposing young children to the arts benefits communication, critical reasoning, and social skills, Heather Faulkner, an army spouse, will take full advantage of Blue Star Museums.

"My son just graduated from kindergarten, and he's in that stage where his mind is a sponge," said Faulkner. "The learning process starts in the museum and continues even after we've left."

Faulkner and her children, ages six and three, are stationed in Hampton Roads, Virginia.  She plans on taking mini excursions this summer up and down the eastern seaboard and looks forward to spending time as a family, something she remembers fondly from her own childhood.

And because museums can be expensive (a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope Leighey House in Northern Virginia would normally cost more than $30.00 for a family of five), Petersen said, the program is a boon for families who are PCSing. Perhaps more importantly for families with a deployed parent, Blue Star Museums provides a much-needed respite.  

Meanwhile, Faulkner is wondering if perhaps seeing Monet and Da Vinci up close and personal this summer will expose her kids' hidden talents.

"I wouldn't call them budding Picassos, but both of my children love drawing and telling stories about their pictures," said Faulkner. "They are definitely more artistic than I am!"

Blue Star Museums is in full swing and runs through Labor Day, September 6, 2010.  For more information, visit www.bluestarfam.org.

** Read a museum-inspired book like "Dogs' Night" by Meredith Hooper before or after a visit.  "Dogs' Night," is a story about dogs who slip out of their famous London art museum paintings at night and wreak havoc around the museum until one romp lands the pooches in the wrong paintings. The curators are befuddled! Ask kids if they can spot animals in paintings and have them draw a picture of what would happen if the animal escaped! 

For an interactive map of participating museums, visit www.nea.gov. And be sure and check out the Blue Star Museums blog at http://www.arts.gov/bluestarblog/ to see first hand stories and photos!