Lois and Richard Rosenthal chat with Charles Desmarais. (Philip Groshong photo) | ZOOM |

        Whew, talk about marshalling the troops! The arts troops, that is.

        Just about every arts supporter in town — 500 in all — showed up Saturday at the Westin for the Contemporary Arts Center's second annual Visionary Gala, honoring arts mega-supporters Lois and Richard Rosenthal.

        And we do mean everyone:Stan and Mickey Kaplan, last year's honorees; Closson's gallery director Phyllis Weston; arts supporters Kim Klosterman and gallery-owner husband Michael Lowe; Playhouse producing artistic director Ed Stern; Mayor Charlie Luken; CAC director Charles Desmarais and wife Kitty Morgan from Cincinnati Magazine; decorator John Harrison; cooking diva Zel Schulman; former Cincinnati development director Nell Surber; CCM dean Doug Lowery; basketball great Oscar Robertson and wife Yvonne; Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati director D. Lynn Meyers; Cinergy Foundation president Joe Hale and wife Linda.

        And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

        Guests here paid $250 a head for a cocktail reception and silent art auction, a spectacular array of pricey works — Jack Meanwell, Jay Bolotin, Nam June Paik, Claus Oldenburg, Carter Smith, Tom Wesselmann — assembled by local art guru Carl Solway.

        Oh, and food: Pistachio crusted salmon over roasted vegetables, honey lime chicken breast and a chocolate tulip cup for a sinful dessert, nicely paced with small speeches between courses, all punctuated by a gritty drag performance by Todd Almond as Hedwig (of Angry Inch fame).

        Plenty classy, this do chaired by Covington businessman and arts activist David Herriman. Black tie, ball gown, weekend-only jewels, even drummers to usher guests into dinner instead of the usual flick of the lights.

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