Free Admission to Lynn Museum for Military Families

The Lynn Museum & Historical Society is pleased to join forces with the National
Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Blue Star Families, a non-profit organization representing military
families, to honor and thank members of our military and their families for their service to our country
by providing them with free admission to the museum this summer. This program will allow the
military community an opportunity to take advantage of the rich cultural history they defend and
protect every day.

As part of the Blue Star Museums program, the Lynn Museum joins more than 1800 museums across
America in providing free admission to active members of the military and their families from Memorial
Day through Labor Day (September 3, 2012). Active duty military personnel from the Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserve, along with up to five immediate family
members, are eligible for free admission upon presentation of a valid military ID. Families of deployed
military are also welcome to visit with valid DD Form 1173 or 1173-1 ID Card.

Last summer, the Blue Star Museums program welcomed more than 300,000 military family members
to over 1300 partner museums across the country. This year, more than 1,800 museums—including
fine arts museums, science museums, history museums, nature centers, and children’s museums—will
participate in the program.

In addition to the Lynn Museum, the forty-plus Massachusetts museums participating in the program
this summer include the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ; Peabody Essex Museum, Salem; Sterling and
Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown; Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge; USS Constitution
Museum, and Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. A complete list of Blue Star Museums is available
online at: www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The Lynn Museum is proud to take part in this important
program by providing access to art, culture, history and beauty to many of our bravest citizens and their
families, particularly in these difficult economic times.

ABOUT THE LYNN MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY: http://www.lynnmuseum.org
590 Washington Street, Lynn, MA 01901 • Open Tues, Wed, Fri and Sat 12-4pm and Thursdays
12-7pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays, and, July 4 and September 3, 2012 • 781-581-6200 • FREE to
members, children under 12 years and all Lynn school children; $5 admission. Additionally, the museum
hosts occasional free family days throughout the year, featuring live storytelling, art-making, and family

activities For more than a century, the Lynn Museum & Historical Society has collected, maintained,
and fostered an appreciation of Lynn through its textiles, paintings, photographs, and historical
artifacts. Current exhibitions include: “#115: Paint by Number, “ Entering the 115th anniversary
year of the founding of the Museum, this exhibition focuses on our collection and the color and style
elements crossing a century of artistry. Through interpretations of paintings from our collection in
paint by number format, this exhibition breaks down and re-assembles the images in a modern, pop-
art medium; “ More Than a Number: Stories from Lynn,” tells the story of the survivors of the mass
genocide of the “killing fields” of Cambodia expressed through the powerful and inspirational images
and oral histories of its people. As hundreds of thousands of Cambodians escaped the country, they
lived in holding centers and refugee camps until they were accepted into a third country. Upon leaving
the refugee camps, they were identified through “transit” or “T” number photos. These transit photos
symbolize the refugees’ first glimpse of hope for their future. This exhibition will focus on the refugees
that came to call Lynn their home. On exhibit through September 30, 2012; “A Step Back in Time,”
highlighting Lynn’s glorious industrial past as the world’s largest producer of shoes; “Celebrating
Lynn Legacies,” featuring profiles of individuals, families, and businesses that have made a significant
contribution to Lynn’s history; “Where There is Smoke There is Fire,” depicting the Great Fires of Lynn,
with authentic artifacts and tools used by Lynn’s firefighters; “I ♥ Lynn: Lynn and its History,” Want
to see a Harry Agganis baseball card? How about an original Lydia Pinkham herbal tonic bottle? Did you
know that Boyd’s Potato Chips once came in a can? Explore these items and more in our Lynn History
exhibition , including never-before-seen images of famous Lynners, and notable Lynn places and events
that shaped the city and its history

ABOUT BLUE STAR MUSEUMS
Blue Star Museums runs from Memorial Day, May 28, 2012 through Labor Day, September 3, 2012. The
free admission program is available to active-duty military and their immediate family members (military
ID holder and five immediate family members). Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force,
Marines, Coast Guard, and active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve 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.

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 Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime
Experience, Great American Voices Military Base Tour, and Shakespeare in American Communities
Military Base Tour.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency
of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic
excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends
its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the
philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at www.arts.gov.