Models and Mannequins mixes art On the eve of New York Fashion Week, Blue Star Contemporary Arts created a setting like a Vogue photo shoot for its Models and Mannequins fundraiser Sept. 7. Willowy models in stylish ensembles from Neiman Marcus posed on pedestals in severe relief against the gallery's white walls. Super-real photographic images by , the late artist, hanging as part of Blue Star's Fotoseptiembre exhibit, accentuated the link between fashion and art - and their contrast to everyday life, however ordinary Ramirez's subject matter (brooms, bouquets). " Lionel Sosa bought the students' work!" said fashion model-esque , Blue Star's new marketing and program manager. The piece in question, a white mosaic mannequin, was embellished by Alex Rubio and teenagers at Blue Star. It was one of eight mannequins Blue Star asked nine artists to re-imagine. Siblings Ricardo and pointed out the work of their mother, Luisa Wheeler. "She was a photographer and she branched out," Ricardo said, and appropriately so: Wheeler turned her mannequin into a tree. , , , , , , Butch Brown and were among others pondering models and mannequins to pounding music spun by DJ John Mata. The party continued the next night at Fashion's Night Out, at which The Shops at tried to outdo each other with gifts, discounts and, at Neiman's, a celebration of the 125th anniversary of the tuxedo. Viva, la cummerbund! The very next night, artworks by 10 regional artists lined stalls in the 's Leeper Auditorium for the McNay Contemporary Collectors Forum's "Art to the Power of Ten" fundraiser. Guests could buy pieces outright or purchase raffle tickets to place on a work the artist donated. Aside from the art, the party was a reunion of friends after a long, hot summer. Richard and , Frost, , Rex Hausmann, , John and , and were among the throng scooping Bohanan's shrimp shooters from passing trays. Dr. and talked about the cotton candy-scented concert two nights earlier. Dapper wore trousers that once belonged to , who died exactly seven years ago today. was sharing cocktails and laughter with his aunt, , and uncle, , when his name was called as the winner of a painting by abstract painter Roberta Buckles. "I bought one raffle ticket and put it on that piece," he said. It was fate: "A year ago on a tour of the McNay I took just one picture, and it was of her work," he said. On Wednesday evening at the , Helen Eversburg, charities chair of the , announced the association will distribute $900,000 in grants to 29 children's charities in Bexar County this year. President handed out checks on the spot. "It's significant that 100 percent of our net proceeds go to the children - no executive director or employees or office; we do the work," Smith said. The grants will be distributed in the following categories: Special needs children, $131,026 Abused and neglected children, $181,674 Early childhood education and literacy, $259,631 After school enrichment and sports program, $126,100 Leadership and success, $55,089 Teen pregnancy/teen parenting, $10,000 Child health and well-being, $71,000 Strengthening families/parent education, $65,480 Well done, Charity Ball Association. Keep throwing balls. Friends from Boerne, Bergheim, Bulverde, Kerrville and New Braunfels drove into town Sunday to honor the 's Artist of the Year, Boerne resident Thom Ricks. "He's creative from the top down, an unbelievable painter," said friend and fellow artist , there with his artist wife, Edie. Guests Johnny and Zelime Matthews bought copies of Ricks' fancifully illustrated children's books and , , , , and studied the artist's evocative watercolors of shorelines in England, Italy, Greece and other sites from his famous travels. The exhibit hangs until Oct. 23 at the , 130 King William St.