Connecting military kids to the arts in Utah and across the U.S.

ROY — As chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, Mary Anne Carter can, no surprise, speak authoritatively on the importance of Americans having opportunities to participate in the arts.

But Carter's also conversant in "military kid-speak." Her father spent 25 years in the Navy and, growing up, she moved almost every year.

"By the time I was 14, I had moved 14 times," said Carter during a visit Tuesday to Utah's Hill Aerospace Museum.

That unique background allows Carter to celebrate this summer's nationwide Blue Star Museums program as both an arts advocate — and as a member of a U.S. military family.

Carter was joined at the museum Tuesday by military, arts and civic leaders and dozens of her fellow "military kids" to kick off the 2026 Blue Star Museums season.

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the NEA, the Department of Defense, the military family support organization Blue Star Families and museums across the country that offers free museum admission to active-duty military personnel and their families.

Tuesday's event was about bringing awareness to Blue Star Museums — while also saluting the nation's military families during a moment of conflict, uncertainty and disruption.

With a budget of over $200 million, the 61-year-old NEA is the largest funder in the U.S. of arts organizations.

Carter called Utah an apt locale to kick off the Blue Star Museums season. "For the last several years. Utah has been No. 1 or 2 in arts participation across the entire country, so I know you all value the arts," she said.

Now almost 2,000 museums across the country are joining in Blue Star Museums — which runs from Armed Forces Day, May 16, through Labor Day on Sept. 7.

Thirty-seven museums in Utah — stretching from Logan's Stokes Nature Center to the Kanab Heritage House — are Blue Star Museums participants in 2026.

Blue Star Museums, said Carter, is about more than simply offering free admission to military families. Each participating museum also doubles as a welcoming spot for military families who are often on the move.

"And it's also because of the family connection," she said. "Many of these kids don't know if their mother or father might be deployed — and this allows them the time to make those family connections and make those memories."

How are Utah communities looking out for military families?

Dan and Lindsay Gwynn joined their two young children for Tuesday's kickoff event at the massive, aircraft-filled Air Force museum that rivals Disneyland, at least for military aviation enthusiasts.

A BYU graduate, Dan Gwynn flies for Delta Air Lines when he's not in a fighter jet cockpit for the Oklahoma Air National Guard. His wife, Lindsay, is a Salt Lake native.

The couple knows well the demands exacted on military families.

"The long separations can be hard on the kids and hard on spouses," said Lindsay Gwynn.

Prior to Tuesday, the Gwynns were unaware that so many Utah museums were participating in Blue Star Museums. Now, they're eager to visit as many as possible.

"We're always looking for things that we can do that are free or inexpensive — so if things like this are offered for military families, we're usually pretty interested."

The Gwynns said they have been the beneficiaries of service-minded Utah neighbors — most of whom have no military connections — who have stepped up and offered support.

"Communities have the potential to make a very significant impact," said Dan Gwynn. "Things as simple as just a text to say, 'Hey, how are you doing — Is there anything you can do?' … can make the difference when things are hard."

Saluting the family-connecting power of museums

During Tuesday's press event at the museum, Hill Aerospace Museum Director Aaron Clark acknowledged that the popular aviation museum is already free to all visitors.

"But being part of Blue Star Museums matters deeply to us as an institution," he said.

"This national initiative connects military families — who move often, serve often, and sacrifice often — to museums, across the country, that open their doors a little wider to these incredible citizens of our country."

Layton Mayor Joy Petro highlighted the many services and opportunities Davis County offers, via Davis Links, to military families — including assistance with food, housing, transportation, health and education.

"What an honor it is to be able to stand before you as Blue Star families and just let you know from the bottom of my heart how much I appreciate the devotion and the dedication that you all give to this country," said Petro.

In a video presentation, Utah first lady Abby Cox called Tuesday's Blue Star Museum launch an opportunity for the state to demonstrate its dedication to its military families.

"We want you to feel welcomed, recognized and seen in the communities in which you reside," said Cox. "I know that museums and cultural experiences have been such beneficial experiences for my family to connect and enjoy one another. I hope you find that too, as you get out and explore together."

Second lady of the United States Usha Vance also shared a video message, calling the Blue Star Museums initiative an "enriching cultural experience" for military families.

"And it's our way of saying thank you for all that you do," said Vance.

"Our family loves visiting museums, gardens, zoos and aquariums. It is such a beautiful thing to see our children's faces light up as they explore these places. That joy is something every parent should get to experience with their children. And thanks to Blue Star Museums, it's now easier than ever."

Victoria Panella Bourns, who directs the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, said Tuesday that museums quench one's curiosity for knowledge, new experiences and value.

"Museums are critical educational assets, contribute important economic benefits, and are key resource and gathering centers for our communities," she added.

The network of support and resources provided by museums is remarkable and enables us to build upon the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Utah."

Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet told the dozens of kids who gathered for Tuesday's event that the museum program is all about them.

"You guys are super important," she said. "Our country needs a military. We need it to make us safe. And someone has to say, 'You know what? I volunteer. I'm going to do it.'"

But such selfless declarations only happen with the support of families.

"Your moms and dads, they love you," said Roth-Douquet. "And you say, 'It's OK. I'm in this with you. We're gonna take care of the country together.'"

Col. Daniel Cornelius, who commands the 75th Air Base Wing at Hill Air Force Base, concluded Tuesday's kickoff by saying that the work happening at Blue Star Families and the museum program are "incredibly important" to those in uniform.

But during times of conflict, such work will be even more important moving forward.

"The support that we get from not only these organizations, but from the state and the local communities, just can't be beat," said Cornelius.

Related topics