WSHM Arch Washington State History Museum on Tacoma's Pacific Avenue color block Children enjoying the History Lab Time Connector The History Museum and the Museum of Glass color block Salish weavers in the Hall of History

TACOMA MUSEUM DISTRICT OFFERING FREE ADMISSION FOR VETERANS AND ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL THIS VETERANS DAY

TACOMA – Oct. 17 – The tri-museums of the Tacoma Museum District honor the commitment and sacrifices of veterans by offering free admission to retired veterans, active-duty military, and their dependents on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11. Visitors must show valid military ID to enjoy the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, and the Washington State History Museum for FREE, all day.

The following programs are scheduled for Veterans Day:

Second Tuesdays:
Through Others’ Eyes: Ottomans and the West Seeing Each Other at the Tacoma Art Museum 10:30 a.m.

There is a long history of European writers and artists describing and portraying the vast multiethnic Ottoman Empire that dominated the Near East and North Africa. What is less well known is that there was a similar tradition of Ottoman writers and painters representing the West. For this month’s Second Tuesday mid-day talk, Ottomanist scholars Selim Kuru and Walter G. Andrews, from the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at University of Washington, discuss these representations and the realities behind them. Second Tuesday mid-day talks, demonstrations, and hands-on workshops are free with museum admission; which is FREE for Veterans and military personnel on Nov. 11. Adults 65 and older and retired military receive reduced admission of $3.25 every Second Tuesday of the month. Second Tuesdays at Tacoma Art Museum are generously funded by a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.
For more information, please visit www.TacomaArtMuseum.org/secondtuesdays.

TVW Author's Hour with Les Eldridge at the Washington State History Museum 1 p.m.
Join Washington State Historical Society Executive Director David Nicandri as he interviews Les Eldridge, author of a series of novels on the American Civil War at sea: The Chesapeake Command, Gray Raiders, Green Seas, and The Wake of the Woonsocket. The Dunbrody and St. John series, about the adventures of two sea officers who are separated at sea during the American Civil War, has received rave reviews from both historians and military officers. Come be a part of our audience for this program, which will be aired on TVW.

Sam Green, Washington State’s Poet Laureate at the Washington State History Museum 2 – 4 p.m.
How can a poem affect a war? What is the role of poetry in bringing veterans home or sending them to battle? How does writing inspire or guide us in our everyday lives? Join us for a reading and discussion with Sam Green, Washington State’s poet laureate, as he investigates what poetry has meant in the context of our military history.
For more information, please visit www. WashingtonHistory.org

Hot Shop Featured Artist Benjamin Cobb at the Museum of Glass 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Museum of Glass invites featured artists to the Hot Shop to push the limits of their work. Offering a diverse mixture of culture, style, focus and expertise, these artists create a sense of excitement and wonder as they experiment and explore new directions in their art. Ben Cobb is the Hot Shop manager and a lead gaffer and designer on the Museum of Glass Hot Shop team. During this residency, he will demonstrate the creation of a selection of his colorful, organically shaped glass sculptures inspired by the human form and its internal organs. Kinesthesia, a solo exhibition of Cobb’s newest works, was recently on display at Seattle’s Traver Gallery.
For more information, please visit www.MuseumofGlass.org.

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About the Museum of Glass
All glass, all the time. Experience contemporary glass art in a breathtakingly museum on Tacoma's revitalized waterfront. Feel the heat as you watch a team of artists create masterpieces from molten glass in the Hot Shop Amphitheater, the Museum’s working glass studio. See edgy exhibitions of 20th- and 21st-century glass in the galleries, participate in hands-on art projects, watch original documentary films about glass art and the artists who create it, shop for glorious gifts in the Museum Store and stroll across the remarkable Chihuly Bridge of Glass.

HOURS – Wednesday – Saturday 10am to 5 pm, Third Thursdays 10 am – 8 pm, Sunday 12 – 5pm. Store is also open Tuesdays 10am – 5pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
ADMISSION –
Free for members, $10 general, $8 seniors, military and students (13+ with ID), $8 groups of 10 or more, $4 children (6-12) years old. Children under 6 are admitted free. Admission is free every third Thursday of the month from 5pm to 8pm.
CONTACT –
253.284.4750 or 866.4MUSEUM, www.MuseumofGlass.org, info@museumofglass.org

About the Tacoma Art Museum
Tacoma Art Museum connects people and builds community through art. The museum serves the diverse communities of the region through its collection, exhibitions, and learning programs, emphasizing art and artists from the Northwest. The museum’s five galleries display an array of top national shows, the best of Northwest art, creatively themed exhibitions, and historical retrospectives. In addition, there is an Education Wing for children, adults, and seniors with an art resource center, classroom, and studio for art making. Tacoma Art Museum is located in Tacoma’s Museum District, near the Museum of Glass, the Washington State History Museum, and historic Union Station.

HOURS – Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm, Third Thursdays 10am – 8pm, Sunday 12 – 5pm. Open Mondays Memorial Day through Labor Day.
ADMISSION –
Adult $7.50, Student/Military/Senior (65+) $6.50, Family $25 (2 adults and up to 4 children under 18). Children 5 & under free. Third Thursdays free. Members always free.
CONTACT –
253.272.4258, www.TacomaArtMuseum.org, info@tacomaartmuseum.org

About the Washington State History Museum
The Washington State History Museum, flagship of the Washington State Historical Society, is located at 1911 Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, just off 1-5. The Washington State History Museum presents exhibits, programs and events that bring Washington's history to life. The Washington State Historical Society has been dedicated to collecting, preserving and vividly presenting Washington's rich and varied history since 1891.

HOURS - Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., with extended hours and free admission every Thursday night, 5 – 8 p.m. until March 1, 2009. Beginning March 1, the Museum will offer FREE admission every third Thursday from 2 - 8 p.m. The Museum is open Sunday noon – 5 p.m.
ADMISSION -
$25 for families (two adults and up to four children); $8 for adults; $7 for seniors, age 60 and above; $6 for students and military with valid ID; children, age 5 and below, and members are always FREE.
CONTACT –
1-888-BE THERE, www.WashingtonHistory.org

Media Contacts:
Susan Newsom, Museum of Glass, 253-284-4732, snewsom@museumofglass.org
Alyssa Rosso, Tacoma Art Museum, 253-272-4258 x3002, arosso@tacomaartmuseum.org
Marketing, Washington State History Museum, 253-798-5877, socialmedia@wshs.wa.gov

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1911 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402
(253) 272-3500
1-888-BE THERE
(253) 272-9518 Fax
More contact info