The Attleboro Arts Museum is one of more than 1,800 museums across America to offer free admission/and or benefits to military personnel and their families this summer in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the Department of Defense.   The Attleboro Arts Museum has announced the launch of Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 museums across America to offer free admission/and or benefits to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2013. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The complete summer 2013 list of participating museums is available as of May 21, 2013 at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. “Blue Star Museums is something that service members and their families look forward to every year and we are thrilled with the continued growth of the program,” said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Through this distinctive collaboration between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and more than 1,800 museums across the United States, service members and their families can connect with our national treasures with this unparalleled opportunity to visit some of the country’s finest museums for free.” “Blue Star Museums is a collaboration between the arts and military communities," said NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. “Our work with Blue Star Families and with more than 1,800 museums ensures that we can reach out to military families and thank them for their service and sacrifice.” This year, more than 1,800 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 450 new museums this year. Mim Brooks Fawcett, Executive Director of the Attleboro Arts Museum comments “The Attleboro Arts Museum has participated in the Blue Star Museums program since it began in 2010.  We are proud to be part of this national effort to thank our military families for their service.”             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 1,800 museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 27, 2013 through Labor Day, September 2, 2013. The free admission/museum benefit program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, 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. Please see the chart of the acceptable IDs (PDF). To find out which museums are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The site includes a list of participating museums and a map to help with visit planning. 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.   About the Attleboro Arts Museum The Attleboro Arts Museum involves audiences of all ages and backgrounds in the visual arts through diverse educational programs and engaging arts experiences. We work to support the creative and artistic development of both promising and professional artists. The Museum is a privately supported, non-profit arts institution whose core commitment to Arts for Everyone guides the Museum's programs and operations. www.attleboroartsmuseum.org   About Blue Star Families Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families. With our partners, Blue Star Families hosts a robust array of morale and empowerment programs, including Books on Bases, Blue Star Museums, Operation Honor Corp, Blue Star Careers and Operation Appreciation. Blue Star Families also works directly with the Department of Defense and senior members of local, State and Federal government to bring the most important military family issues to light. Working in concert with fellow nonprofits, community advocates, and public officials, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable. Our worldwide membership includes military spouses, children, parents, and friends, as well as service members, veterans and civilians. To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit http://www.bluestarfam.org.   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 arts.gov.    

  Dear Museum Friend, Thanks to our many generous supporters, the Attleboro Arts Museum is celebrating its 90th year of providing innovative exhibitions, inspiring cultural programs, and continued arts opportunities for promising and professional artists. We’re always grateful to all those who have contributed to our growth and success, yet we still need your help to foster our unique programming and continue delivering arts experiences to all ages and backgrounds. As a privately funded nonprofit organization, the Attleboro Arts Museum relies on income from donations and sponsorships. Your support enables the Museum to share its abundant treasures with 10,000+ visitors each year. Please consider a contribution to our Annual Fund Campaign in an amount that is comfortable for you. Please make your donation today and let us continue to bring Arts for Everyone to life. With great thanks and appreciation, The Attleboro Arts Museum Board of Trustees [button link="https://attleboromuseum.ejoinme.org/annual-fund-2013-14"] Click here to donate [/button]        

High Art at the Attleboro Arts Museum The Museum’s annual high art exhibition is open to students in grades 9 through 12, who are either enrolled in public, private, parochial, alternative high schools or are home schooled. • Exhibition Dates:  May 21 – June 5, 2013 • Opening Reception:  Thursday, May 23 from 6:30-8:00pm • Guest Juror: Artist Jodi Colella ____________________ 2013 Theme:  Full Contrast A Show of opposites; black & white, light & dark, rough & smooth, right & wrong, good & evil… open to all mediums and concepts that communicate a literal or emotional view of opposing themes. Teams of high school students are charged with the creation of one large-scale installation that reflects or embodies full contrast.  It is essential that students design their installations with the goal to transform their allotted space in the Attleboro Arts Museum’s gallery.  Please keep in mind that it is not always necessary to fill every square inch of your allotted space, but more importantly to freely let your concept and materials dictate the final design and placement within the space you have been given.  Students are encouraged to work in collaboration with one another in completing this large-scale project. ____________________ 2013 High Art Awards:   Best in Show:  Mansfield High School Second Place:  BMC Durfee High School Third Place:  Attleboro High School   Best Full Contrast Award:  Taunton High School Title Sponsor Award:  North Attleboro High School   Merit Awards: Bishop Feehan High School Franklin High School Horace Mann School for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Joseph Case High School King Philip Regional High School The Network Program   Download a High Art Promotional Flier   ____________________ 2013 Participating High Schools:

• Attleboro High School – Attleboro, MA
• Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, MA
• BMC Durfee High School – Fall River, MA
• Franklin High School – Franklin, MA
• Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing – Allston, MA
• Joseph Case High School – Swansea, MA
• King Philip Regional High School – Wrentham, MA
• Mansfield High School – Mansfield, MA
• Network Program – Attleboro, MA
• North Attleboro High School – North Attleboro, MA
• Taunton High School – Taunton, MA

  ____________________ Special Thanks to our Generous High Art Sponsors: Title Sponsor: 

• Footworks Inc., Attleboro, MA.  www.footworksr.us

Sponsors:

• Craft Inc., South Attleboro, MA.  www.craft-inc.com
• The Preservation Framer, North Attleboro, MA.  www.preservationframer.com
• The Local Cultural Councils of Franklin, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Norton and Swansea

5th Annual Attleboro Expo for the Senses Chalk Art – Sidewalk Masterpieces Downtown Attleboro, Massachusetts 77 Park Street, Attleboro, MA 02703 Saturday, June 15, 2013; 12 – 5pm; Free Admission _______________________________ The City of Attleboro will present its fifth annual Expo for the Senses, on Saturday, June 15, 2013. This family-friendly, outdoor event will be held from noon to 5pm in Attleboro’s downtown. The Attleboro Arts Museum welcomes all artists to participate in a popular component of the Expo for the Senses: Chalk Art – Sidewalk Masterpieces. These concrete masterpieces will be on display in the center of the Expo and will be judged by all attendees.  People’s Choice Awards will be presented to the top three artists.  The First Place winner will be awarded the title of Duke (or Duchess) of Chalk. Download a Chalk Art Application 2013 ___________________ The Expo for the Senses will feature The Attleboro Arts Museum Art and Craft Fair, live bands and performances, glittering jewelry/precious metal exhibits, exciting children’s activities and food samplings by area restaurants and caterers.    

The program goal is to have 90 Artful Acts of Kindness completed before the end of our 90th year – December 31, 2013. The Museum is defining an Artful Act of Kindness as a “thoughtful deed of the creative variety” that the Museum receives or shares. Examples would be the complimentary hosting of a local non-profit’s event in the Museum’s Ottmar Gallery; a no-cost painting demonstration for youngsters; or an out-of-the-blue donation of art supplies to the Museum from a vendor.

2013 National Juried Exhibition at the Attleboro Arts Museum. Open to all mediums, sizes and concepts that reflect, contain or relate to what goes around … rings, wheels, halos, drum circles, the flu, applause, rumors … Submission deadline: May 2013 What Goes Around will be on display from June 26th – July 25th, 2013.