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34 LOVIN' ORANGES AT 35 Catherine D. Anspon does the raucous recap. Photography Mike Herrera. S ome black-tie nights are just more momen- tous than others — especially when there's history and a big number to commemorate. So it was when the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art's 35th Annual Gala rolled out a surreal haunted forest as its arrival zone, in lieu of a prosaic red carpet, to mark three and a half decades of promoting and preserving some of America's seminal outsider environments and staging the world's largest Art Car Parade. (Save the date for the 30th Annual Art Car convergence: Saturday, April 8.) Founder, board chair, and our lady of the Orange Show Marilyn Oshman presided, tapping as gala chairs the inimitable art patron Lester Marks and his wife, physician Penelope Marks. This was no or- dinary fête, even for the art crowd. The Crowne Plaza NRG was transformed into a time-travel Mecca, with clever vignettes such as the aforementioned surreal sylvan glade, magician bartenders, and a swamp-shack portal that led to the grand ballroom of this classic Astrodome-era hotel. Natch, outrageous costumery and the non-PC prevailed. Then there were the art goodies that formed the silent auction. Thanks to the popularity and persuasion of the chairs, and the prowess of auction chairs Beverly Berry and Helaine Lubetkin, substantial talents such as Whitney Biennial-exhibited Trenton Doyle Hancock, Michael Ray Charles, Angelbert Metoyer, and Marks himself (donating one of his own photos), were included, joining major works by Sharon Kopriva; an epic James Surls from the late '70s/early '80s that went to high bidders Tracy and Glen Larner; and folk art treasures from the collection of the late Stephanie and John Smither — benefactors of the Orange Show's Smither Park. Rounding out the night, Grammy-winning accor- dionist Wayne Toups took to the stage to shake some zydeco vibes with his band. A half-million dollars and 500 attendees later, this eve would have made Orange Show maker Jeff McKissack very proud. SHOW-STOPPERS Best costume foolery was devised by chairs Penelope and Lester Marks as Frida Kahlo and Neptune, King of the Orange Seas; Ms. Oshman as a Chinese mandarin; Mark Sullivan channeling a gargantuan martini while fellow PR man Stuart Rosenberg went as a Sex on the Beach cocktail. Others revelers: J. Michael Solis, Star Massing and Art Guy husband Jack Massing, Toby Kamps, outsider artist Erma Lee in animal print, and board members Pamela George with artist Paul Easterwood and Will Robinson with wife Julia. Chairs Lester & Penelope Marks Star Massing Christy Karll, Earl Staley & Mary Margaret Hansen Shannon Hall & Marcus Sloan Don Mafrige Jr. Marilyn Oshman Will & Julia Robinson Lisa Dennison Mark Sullivan Oliver Halkowich, Jonathan Babin Brittany Meisner, Matt Johns Robert McClain, Erin Dorn Frank & Meghan Spicer Frank Herzog Jereann Chaney Erma Lee Lynette Wallace, Sharon Kopriva