As part of the Academy Art Museum’s Paint the Town CUBAN! Fundraiser, to be held the weekend of May 6 -7, 2011, the Museum will offer online sign-ups through May 5, 2011 for the Museum’s Artful Adventures – the rare opportunities to visit homes of the Shore’s most distinguished art collectors and to experience art in other creative ways.  Remaining tickets for these events will be on sale at the Museum’s May 7 Paint the Town CUBAN! event.

Among the Artful Adventures available for sign-up are: a Venetian Cocktail Buffet and Art Tour at the home of Robin and Tom Clarke on Hunting Creek on Saturday, August 27, 2011, from 6 to 9 p.m.; “The River is a Reason” private exhibition tour, garden tour and lunchwith Carla Massoni, gallery owner of MASSONIART in Chestertown and noted artist, printmaker, author and illustrator Marcy Dunn Ramsey on Saturday, September 24, 2011, from 12 noon to 3:30 p.m.; A Portuguese Evening under the Stars Dinner at the home of Suzanne and John Whitmore in Sherwood on Sunday, June 12, 2011, at 6:30 p.m.; Art & Architecture: The Washington Color School Painters and Jonathan Butler Design extensive art tour and cocktails at the home of Elinor Farquhar in Bozman on Sunday, June 26 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.; The Artful Garden: The Knight Gardens, Chestertown to view the gardens designed by noted landscape ar chitect James van Sweden on Friday, October 14, 2011, from 2 to 5 p.m. (Rain date – October 15); The Art of Seasonal Cooking, featuring cooking lessons by Laurie Dennis of PeachBlossoms at the home of Anna and Chip Fitchner, designed by one of America’s top architectural firms;Artful Adventure: Conversation and Cocktails with Artist Linn Meyers at the contemporary waterfront home of Diane and Jeff Staley in Bozman on Friday, September 16, 2011, from 6 to 8 p.m.; Northern Italian Cocktail Party with Portrait Artist Nancy Tankersley at the home of Leslie Westbrook and Paolo Frigerio on the Tred Avon River on Saturday, August 6, from 6 to 8 p.m.; How Not to Collect,including cocktails, dinner and a tour of the private art collection of Carla and Al Massoni in Chestertown on Saturday, September 10, 2011, from 6:30 to 10 p.m.; and Marc Castelli: Downrigging Weekend, including a private tour of renowned artist Marc Castelli’s annual art exhibition at MASSONIART in Chestertown, lunch and a two-hour ride on the Sultana on Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Of special interest during the Artful Adventures sign-ups will be the auction offering of the exceptional photograph, “Russian Car in Old Havana 2010,” donated by award-winning photographer Steve McCurry. The photograph is available for a “BUY IT NOW” online price of $4,500 (www.academyartmuseum.org under the “Events” tab). The framed print measures 16 by 20 inches and exemplifies McCurry’s ability to search out and record the essence of a story. Not only will the photograph be a prized memento of this year’s Paint the Town Cuban! event, but $1,500 of the purchase price will be tax-deductible.

In addition to the Artful Adventures sign-ups, the Museum’s Paint the Town CUBAN! Weekend will include a free lecture, “A Conversation with Alexis Romay, exiled Cuban writer/poet living outside of New York City: Mixing Memory and Desire” on Friday, May 6, at 5 p.m. at the Academy Art Museum, as part of Easton’s First Friday events. In addition, South Street Gallery in Easton will feature the art of Geandy Pavon from May 6 -15, with a reception on May 6, 5 to 8 p.m.  Pavon is an expatriate Cuban and a classically-trained, contemporary artist who has earned critical acclaim for his often large and deeply symbolic works of art. The Troika Gallery in Easton will feature the art of Jorge Alberto on Friday, May 6, from 5 to 8 p.m.  Born in Cuba, Jorge Alberto is a realist painter whose subject manner ranges from still life and florals to Trompe l’oeil (French for deceive the eye), an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion of three dimension.  In celebration of Cuban culture, Chef Paul Shiley of the Tidewater Inn will offer guests Cuban specials and a variety of mojitos between May 1 and 6.

Participants in the Museum’s Paint the Town CUBAN! Fundraiser are supporting the Academy Art Museum’s mission to enhance cultural life on the Eastern Shore by making available to everyone the Museum’s expanding collection, exhibitions, and broad spectrum of arts programs.  Limited online tickets for the Artful Adventures are available at www.academyartmuseum.org or by phone 410-822-8121 until May 5, 2011.  For further information on the Paint the Town CUBAN!  Weekend, visit www.academyartmuseum.org.