BETHEL, NY (May 24, 2018) – For the fifth year, The Museum at Bethel Woods will again take part in Blue Star Museums, 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 from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The program provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation's cultural heritage and learn more about their community, especially after a military move. A list of participating museums is available at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID) or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps - and up to five family members.

“Visiting a museum is a great way to get to know a community—whether it’s in your hometown or a stop on a road trip,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “We appreciate the enthusiasm of museums all across the country who open their doors for military and their families to spend time together and have new arts experiences.”

This year’s participating Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts, science, history and children’s museums, but zoos and nature centers as well. Museums are welcome to sign up for Blue Star Museums throughout the summer by emailing bluestarmuseums@arts.gov.

“As many military families spend the summer months moving from one duty station to another, or reconnecting with a parent who has returned from deployment, Blue Star Museums helps service members and their families create memories,” said Blue Star Families Chief Executive Officer Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Blue Star Families has great appreciation for the generosity of the museums across the country who roll out the red carpet for the families who serve alongside their service members. We are thrilled with the continued growth of the program and the unparalleled opportunities it offers.”

Located at the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival, The Museum at Bethel Woods is dedicated to perpetuating the history of the decade by engaging visitors through a dynamic, immersive multi-media exhibit and annual special exhibitions. The Museum offers the opportunity to see, hear and feel the ‘60s while simultaneously connecting the iconic decade to today. Interactive arts and humanities programs for children and adults alike include concerts, festivals, workshops, films and speaker series. For a full list of events, please visit bethelwoodscenter.org.

In addition to its Main Exhibit, The Museum proudly presents its 2018 Special Exhibit Peter Max: Early Paintings. The art of Peter Max, with its colorful imagery of gurus, Zen boats, snow-capped mountains and sunbeams, helped define the psychedelic 1960s.  With paintings on exhibition in hundreds of museums and galleries worldwide, Peter Max’s artistry has become part of the fabric of contemporary culture.

Though Peter Max has stayed in the public eye through five decades, visitors to The Museum at Bethel Woods will have a rare opportunity to see inspiring artwork from a pivotal moment in the artist's illustrious career: the period from 1967 through 1972 when his work moved from nostalgic collage-inspired realistic paintings to his visionary, imaginative cosmic creations.

Peter Max: Early Paintings brings together for the first time the collections of Robert Casterline and Shelly Fireman for a Peter Max experience that should not be missed.

Bethel Woods will also debut its new outdoor art installation, Doors to Originality, inspired by the 2018 Special Exhibit, Peter Max: Early Paintings. Using Max’s cosmic ’60s art style as inspiration, twelve regional artists have created a series of Peter Max-inspired designs on vintage wooden doors which have been placed throughout the Bethel Woods campus.

The free outdoor installation will be open to the public until November 30, 2018. The special exhibit is on display during regular Museum hours through December 31, 2018.  

Museum Summer Hours:

April 30-September 3

Open every day, 10:00am-7:00pm

*Special hours on most Pavilion Concert days.
^Day of Show - The Museum at Bethel Woods will offer $5 admission two hours prior to show time for all evening concerts. 

Please call ahead to verify museum hours after September 3 and on concert days. Access to the grounds is closed on Pavilion concert days. The Monument continues to be open to visitors seven days a week, all year long via West Shore Road.

General support for The Museum at Bethel Woods is provided by a grant from the William and Elaine Kaplan Private Foundation.

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About Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts inspires, educates, and empowers individuals through the arts and humanities by presenting a diverse selection of culturally-rich performances, popular artists, and community and educational programming.  Located 90 miles from New York City at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival in Bethel, NY, the lush 800-acre campus includes a Pavilion Stage amphitheater with seating for 15,000, an intimate 440-seat indoor Event Gallery, the award-winning Museum at Bethel Woods, and a Conservatory for arts education programming.

Through the in-depth study and exhibition of the social, political, and cultural events of the 1960s, as well as the preservation of the historic site of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, Bethel Woods educates individuals about the issues and lessons of the decade while inspiring a new generation to contribute positively to the world around them. The not-for-profit organization relies on the generous support of individuals, corporations, and foundations to develop and sustain programs that improve the quality of life in the region and beyond.

For more information please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org.

About Blue Star Museums

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts,Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 25, 2015 through Labor Day, September 7, 2015.

The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps - and up to five family members. Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly. To find participating museums and plan your trip, visitarts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

All summer long, Blue Star Museums will share stories through social media. Follow Blue Star Museums on Twitter @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily, #bluestarmuseums, on Facebook and read the NEA Art Works blog for weekly stories on participating museums and exhibits.Museums that wish to participate in Blue Star Museums may contact bluestarmuseums@arts.gov, or Wendy Clark at 202-682-5451.

This is the latest NEA program to bring quality arts programs to the military, veterans, and their families. Other NEA programs for the military have included the NEA/Walter Reed Healing Arts Partnership; Great American Voices Military Base Tour; and Shakespeare in American Communities Military Base Tour.