Hands down, Culture & Cocktails at San Diego Museum of Art is the absolute best way for young(er) locals to ease into a more mature museum setting. A very pleasant medium where museum culture meets party lifestyle, San Diego Museum of Art invites you for an evening of art appreciation enhanced with spirits, music and a great crowd.

Culture & Cocktails returns to San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA or SDMART) at Balboa Park on Thursday, August 13, 2009.

The June edition of C&C introduced us to Art Alive, a fresh exhibit in which live plants were shaped to resemble famous works of art. Guests sipped champagne, nibbled on the mashed potato bar and treats from Alchemy, enjoyed DJ beats, got made-over by Disconnected Salon, toured Art Alive and got a sneak peak at Richard Avedon’s Portraits of Power. View event photos.

The August event will take our Avedon experience to the next level with a Culture & Cocktails dedicated to the Portraits of Power, including new pre and post-event activities, on Thursday, August 13 starting with a VIP pre-tour from 5:30-6pm, flowing cocktails and culture from 6-9pm, and an after party at 9pm at Cucina Urbana in Banker's Hill.

This week’s Culture & Cocktails is sponsored by George’s Camera, and will feature a Black & White Photo Shoot, a raffle package including a Nikon camera pack, and the signature cocktail of the evening. For the first time, SDMART will offer a VIP Pre-Tour of the Avedon exhibition from 5:30-6pm. The tour is available for up to 35 patrons for an additional $10, will be led by Julia Marciari-Alexander and will conclude with a complimentary cocktail. After Culture & Cocktails, The Museum will host an event at Cucina Urbana in partnership with Urban Renewal Projekt.

SDMART’s Culture & Cocktails creates its own unique social-scene, and typically draws a crowd of more than 1,000. Culture & Cocktails is free for Museum members and $15 for non-members. Visit San Diego Museum of Art for updates.

The Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power traces Avedon's interest in and fascination with American politics through 200 portraits created from the 1950s until the photographer's death in 2004.  The exhibition contains many rarely seen photographs, including works that have never before been exhibited or published. Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power is on view at SDMART through Sun., Sept. 6. Get more details here.