The Brandywine River Museum of Art will offer free admission to the nation's active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, through the Blue Star Museums program. This is the sixth year the museum will participate.

 The museum's current exhibition, “Horace Pippin: The Way I See It,” features work by one of the leading figures of 20th-century art. The exhibition examines the work of Pippin (1888-1946), a self-taught artist and veteran of World War I who served in the renowned African American regiment known as the "Harlem Hellfighters." Despite a war injury, Pippin taught himself to paint in oil using his left arm as a support for his right hand. He vividly depicted a range of subject matter, from intimate family moments and floral still lifes to powerful scenes of war, history and religion. 

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The program also provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation's cultural heritage and learn more about their new communities after a military move. The complete list of participating museums is available at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

"Parents of young children tell us that they go together to museums to learn new things and have family time together," said NEA chairman Jane Chu. "Blue Star Museums helps them do both, by helping military families learn about the cultural resources in their communities, and offering a fun, high-quality experience that's budget friendly as well as family friendly. We're proud to help connect museums to military communities nationwide."

"Blue Star Museums has grown into a nationally recognized program that service members and their families look forward to each year," said Blue Star Families chief executive officer Kathy Roth-Douquet. "It helps bring our local military and civilian communities together, and offers families fun and enriching activities in their home towns. We are thrilled with the continued growth of the program and the unparalleled opportunities it offers.""

This year, more than 2,000 museums are taking part in the initiative. This year's Blue Star Museums represent fine arts museums, science museums, history museums, nature centers, and dozens of children's museums.

The Brandywine River Museum of Art, on Route 1 in Chadds Ford, is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 610-388-2700 or visit www.brandywinemuseum.org.