McCumber creates art with paint-soaked golf balls

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THE PLAYERS Championship contributes to a diverse group of charities throughout Northeast Florida, living by the PGA TOUR's mission to give back to the communities in which it plays. Since 1977, when THE PLAYERS moved to Ponte Vedra, more than $28 million has been contributed to Northeast Florida charities, ranging from health care to youth and education to human services. From Nov. 17-21, representatives from the PGA TOUR and THE PLAYERS Championship, along with several TOUR players, will visit different charitable organizations in Jacksonville as part of "Giving Back Week." On Tuesday, Mark McCumber participated in an event at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.
MORE: Monday's activities | Photo gallery | Giving Back Week archive

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- PGA TOUR professional and 1988 PLAYERS Champion Mark McCumber and his family helped commemorate the start of "THE PLAYERS Free Tuesdays" with a splash at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens on Tuesday night. Courtesy of THE PLAYERS, The Cummer will now be open to the public, free of charge, every Tuesday from 4 to 9 p.m.

In an event dubbed "Artful Swings," McCumber brought together the worlds of art and golf by hitting paint-soaked golf balls onto a canvas. Dan Hicken (Sports Director, First Coast News), Sam Kouvaris (Sports Director, WJXT) and Brian Sexton (Sports Director, Fox-30/CBS-47) also added a few splashes of paint. All four artists signed the canvas, which will be displayed at The Cummer and eventually auctioned off in June, at "THE PLAYERS Benefit for the Arts," which helps support the Cultural Center of Ponte Vedra Beach and The Jacksonville Symphony.

As part of the event, The Cummer offered interactive art activities and tours of the museum and gardens for the public.

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is located in the Riverside Avondale historic district and is the largest fine arts museum in northeast Florida. With more than 6,000 objects in its permanent collection, The Cummer offers world-class art spanning from 2100 B.C. through the 21st century. It is also home to the Wark Meissen Collection, one of three most outstanding collections of porcelain in the world.

Art Connections is the museum's nationally recognized education center that enhances the cultural learning of more than 50,000 students annually and provides hands-on art experiences for all museum visitors. The Cummer also has more than two-and-one half acres of historic gardens along the St. Johns River. The unique blend of art, gardens and education inspires imagination and excitement in all ages making The Cummer the premier cultural institution in the Southeast Region.