The Academy Art Museum’s fundraiser, “Paint the Town CUBAN! ” will be a weekend-long event, coinciding with Easton’s First Weekend festivities. The weekend events will kick off with a free lecture, “A Conversation with Alexis Romay,” on Friday, May 6 at 5 p.m. at the Academy Art Museum. Romay, an exiled Cuban author and poet, wrote “Mixing Memory and Desire,” and has also written lyrics for Cuban jazz performer Paquito D’Rivera’s operetta Cecilio Valdés, Rey de La Habana, with Enrique Del Risco. D’Rivera will perform at the Paint the Town CUBAN! concert on Saturday, May 7 at the Avalon Theatre.
Easton’s art community is also embracing the fundraiser’s theme with Cuban art being exhibited at both South Street Gallery, which will feature Cuban-born artist Geandy Pavon, and Troika Gallery, which will feature works of Jorge Alberto. Geandy 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. His show will open at South Street Gallery on First Friday, May 6, with a reception from 5 – 8 p.m., and will continue through Sunday, May 15. 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 over the weekend.
The Academy’s Paint the Town CUBAN! Party will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2011 beginning at 6 p.m. at the historic Avalon Theatre. The night of celebrating Cuban style begins with a concert by the nine-time Grammy award winner Paquito D’Rivera and his Latin Jazz ensemble. D’Rivera, who was born in Cuba, has recorded more than 30 solo albums featuring his alluring clarinet and sultry alto saxophone. His latest acclaimed release, “Tango Jazz: Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center,” was recorded inNew York City in March 2010.
Following the concert, guests will stroll to the Academy Art Museum where the party continues with Mojitos and other cocktails at the Academy Art Museum and an authentic Cuban dinner at the Waterfowl Building, along with sign-ups for Artful Adventures – the rare opportunities to visit homes of the Shore’s most distinguished art collections and to experience art in other creative ways.
The fundraiser supports 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. The Museum’s ArtReach and Art to Go programs reach underserved populations on the Mid-Shore.
For further information on the Academy Art Museum’s Paint the Town CUBAN! Weekend, visitwww.academyartmuseum.org or call 410-822-2787.
