The Hammer Museum on Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood is offering free admission to all veterans, active military personnel and their families every day of the year. The museum developed the relationship after spending time with a group of art-minded veterans from the nearby West L.A. Veterans campus. In August, Hammer staff welcomed 18 veterans to the museum for a guided tour and luncheon. The visit coincided with ‘Outside the Box,’ an exhibition of works by internationally renowned printmaker Jacob Samuel, who led the tour. ‘When they came here to tour the print show, we learned that they had just built a print studio at the VA,’ said Claudia Bestor, the Hammer’s director of programs. The print studio and the vets who participated were part of artist Lauren Bon’s ‘Strawberry Flag’ project, a large-scale environmental artwork involving fruit and vegetable gardens tended by veterans through the VA’s work therapy program. Since August, Hammer staff have visited the VA numerous times to have lunch and tour the printmaking studio. Jacob Samuel has offered to lead a print workshop at the VA, and some of the veterans have returned to the museum to explore exhibitions and visit with staff. The free admission program is open to all veterans and active military personnel bearing a Geneva Convention Common Access Card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID Card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card. It also covers admission for up to five immediate family members.
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