Has your military family visited a Blue Star Museum?

We’d like to hear from your kids about their experience!

Let's celebrate art as a thank you to the National Endowment for the Arts and the more than 800 museums participating in the Blue Star Museums program. They've given military families the gift of art, now let's show them how much that means to us.

Enter our contest and send us artwork about your visit to a Blue Star Museum or artwork that is inspired by the Blue Star Museum program – winners receive a $500, $250 or $100 savings bond!

The contest is open to military children ages 3 to 17. What is a military child? Any child who has a parent or sibling (including step-parents and siblings) serving on active duty, in the reserves or in the National Guard.

Here's How to Enter:

1. Become a member of Blue Star Families at www.BlueStarFam.org.
2. Email us your child's artwork with short description/story of your experience to museums@bluestarfam.org.
   • Include your name, email and phone number, as well as your child's name and age
   • PDF and JPG files accepted, the higher the resolution the better.
3. Have your child's entry to us no later than 11:59pm EST on September 12, 2010.

What to Enter:

1. Draw a picture or send a photo from your visit to the museum or inspired by the Blue Star Museum program.
2. Include a short description of your visit (e.g., what you did, what part you liked best, etc.) and why you are glad you got to go. (Parents may help little ones with writing.) Make sure to include which museum you visited and the date you were there.
3. Incorporate a blue star, like the Blue Star Museums blue star, into your drawing in any way you’d like.

Questions: Email questions to museums@bluestarfam.org. Tip: If you add "CONTEST QUESTION" in the subject, we can process your message faster.

Prizes:

Winners will be selected by our panel of judges from Blue Star Families.

1. Grand prizewinner will receive a $500 savings bond.
2. First place prizewinners (1 per each age category) each will receive a $250 savings bond.
3. Second place prizewinners (1 per each age category) each will receive a $100 savings bond.

All winners will receive a Certificate of Achievement, and will also be featured on the Blue Star Families site! They’ll also be featured in our Blue Star Museums book!

Winners will be announced on October 8, 2010.

Rules:

1. Submissions must be received at museums@bluestarfam.org by 11:59pm EST on September 12, 2010.
2. Submissions must be received from a parent or custodian of the artist/writer. The parent must be a member of Blue Star Families and at least 18 years of age. Join Blue Star Families at www.BlueStarFam.org.
3. Submissions will be sorted into the following age categories:
   • Ages 3-7
   • Ages 8-12
   • Ages 13-17
4. Each submission should have a Blue Star Museum and military family theme.
5. Entries may include artwork of any kind. To submit artwork, you may scan the entry and email it or take photographs of the artwork and submit those via email to museums@bluestarfam.org. PDFs and JPG files only will be accepted. Higher resolution is preferred.
6. Finalists will be selected by September 27, 2010.
7. 1st and 2nd prizes will be awarded to the top artwork in each age category. Grand prize will be awarded to best overall submission, independent of the age categories and category winners.
8. Winners will be announced on October 8, 2010. Winners will be announced on the Blue Star Families Web site at www.BlueStarFam.org.
    

Terms: By submitting writings, photography or artwork to Blue Star Families, you are warranting that your child is the creator of the work. You also grant Blue Star Families the right to publish it on the Blue Star Families website, the website of the National Endowment for the Arts and/or the website of any museum participating in the Blue Star Museums program. You are further granting both Blue Star Families, the NEA and all participating Blue Star Museums the right to use your submission in publicity or advertising and to syndicate the material. You further indicate that your work will always be credited to the name included with your submission. We will withhold your child's last name from publication upon your written request.

Only one entry per military child is allowed. Parents may submit an entry on behalf of more than one child. Parents must be 18 years of age to submit an entry. Contest ends September 12, 2010. The winners will be announced October 8, 2010. Only residents of the Unites States may enter. Questions? Email Museums@bluestarfam.org. Void where prohibited.