The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts has recently been be identified nationally as a Blue Star Museum. Through a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, and in collaboration with the Department of Defense and museums across America, the Turner Center continues to offer free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including the National Guard and Reserve. 

The 2025 Blue Star Museums program begins on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 17, and runs through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1. For a list of participating museums, visit arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.

“While many museums and art galleries throughout the U.S. offer free admission into their facilities between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Turner Center is proud to offer free gallery admission throughout the entire year, thanks to our generous donors and members,” said Turner Center for the Arts Executive Director Sementha Mathews, Ph.D. “With a campus full of other options such as the Glass Studio, Pottery Studio, and the Art Park, coupled with our neighboring Valdosta Main Street which offers great food and shopping pleasures, we welcome our military family members to the Valdosta City Center Arts District year-round.”

The center also offers military discounts on a variety of art classes and experiences. For more information, visit turnercenter.org, call 229-247-2787 or visit in person at 527 N. Patterson St., Valdosta.