By Jane Prendergast and Marilyn Bauer
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Police were looking to bust a rave party, but ended up at an art opening.

The resulting liquor citation issued Saturday night to the operator of Semantics gallery in Brighton has the Cincinnati arts community buzzing about the "bust'' and wondering about the future of their usual practice of serving alcohol at art openings.

Cincinnati officers, in undercover clothes, went to Semantics thinking it was a "rave" party, which they watch because they're known for unauthorized alcohol sales, underage drinking and drug use. They'd seen the event listed on a Web site, said David Dillon, Semantics director. He isn't sure who posted the information on the Internet.

In fact, the gallery was hosting an opening party for "Struck by Lightning,'' a collection of work by about 30 local and regional artists. The show is part of the citywide Festival of the New, which is based around the opening of the new Contemporary Arts Center building and touted as important to the economic health of the city for its potential in attracting tourists.

Among the patrons that night were University of Cincinnati students showing their work, their parents and university faculty, Dillon said.

When the officers revealed their identities and called in uniformed help, they carded everyone inside, Dillon said, and dumped out the alcoholic beverages. Police confiscated the remaining 18 cans of unopened beer as well as the approximately $89 in donations guests had stuck in a jar at the door.

Dillon said there was no connection between the donations and the alcohol service, that people weren't paying for the drinks. That would be illegal because the gallery doesn't have a permit to sell liquor.

But Capt. Paul Humphries, commander of the vice unit, said gallery operators were taking money for the alcohol and that they were "making change out of the till.''

Dillon was cited by the Ohio Department of Liquor Control for keeping beer on the premises without a permit and furnishing alcohol without a permit. The state agency learned about the party from police, Humphries said, because officers called ahead of time to see if a permit had been issued and learned one had not.

Word of the incident spread quickly around the arts community, with many patrons offering Dillon, also a preparator at the Cincinnati Art Museum and an artist himself, their support. He said he and Semantics, which operates on donations only, are broke. A lawyer has offered to help for free.

Linda Schwartz, owner of Linda Schwartz Gallery, wanted to know: "When they found out it wasn't a rave, why did they continue to bust them?''

Humphries said it's not that simple.

"Did we find the contraband capital of the world? No,'' Humphries said. "We're not trying to put galleries out of business. We want people to come to Cincinnati and enjoy these things.''

Humphries said he would meet with Dillon and leaders of any other arts organizations who want to know what they can legally do with alcohol at their galleries.

Email jprendergast@enquirer.com and mbauer@enquirer.com