Georgianna Lagoria, executive director at The Contemporary
Museum (TCM) in Honolulu, has announced a new outreach program
aimed at supporting Hawai‘i’s large population
of military personnel and their families stationed or retired
on the island.
The new TCM Military Family Outreach program offers free
one-day membership passes to all active duty, reserve, and
retired military and their families Tuesday thru Sunday during
regular museum hours, provided they present a military ID.
Military families may return as often as they want throughout
the year.
“Museums in general are ideal environments for a restorative experience,” said
Lagoria. “Our beautiful gardens and spectacular views, combined with the
aesthetic of fascinating contemporary artwork inside the galleries, provides
a suitable environment for aiding recovery, reconnecting with family members,
and reflecting on traumatic experiences such as separation and war,” she
added.
The military has more than 46,000 military personnel (not including their families)
stationed in Hawai‘i, making the program a shoe-in among board members.
The TCM Board unanimously accepted the recommendation and voted in a recent executive
session to offer free entry for military families as a new military family outreach
program.
TCM’s Military Family Outreach is another special entry-free offer that
TCM has initiated during its 20th anniversary, such as Twenty x 20, which gives
college students and young professionals aged 20-29 free entry to the Museum
until Sept. 30, 2009.
The program launches just in time for the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce’s
May Military Appreciation Month, thanks to sponsorship by Honolulu’s premier
global defense, security and aerospace company, BAE Systems SSL, and Boutiki,
a not-for-profit, volunteer-run gift shop located at Pearl Harbor Naval Base.
“
We are especially grateful when individuals or businesses step forward to help
us promote and sponsor free outreach programs in our community. Boutiki has provided
a grant to enable us to create promotional and collateral materials to publicize
this outreach widely on military bases throughout O‘ahu,” Lagoria
said.
Other outreach programs at TCM include Transportation and Transformation, a free
program for schoolchildren, which provides tours and class visits especially
for schools that serve at-risk children in areas of high poverty on the island
of O‘ahu.
“
As we enter our 21st year serving Hawai‘i as the state’s only museum
dedicated to the art of our time and our place, we are pleased to have created
a cultural center that is open and accessible to a broad and diverse audience
across all economic and social barriers,” Lagoria said.
For more information about Military Family Outreach, or other outreach programs
at TCM, visit their Web site at www.tcmhi.org or call 526-0232.
