STARS TURNED out for a gala art exhibition opening Sept. 24 at Hamilton Gallery in Santa Monica featuring the work of Honolulu’s Madeleine McKay along with four other classic realist painters, including actress Brook Adams. Tony Shalhoub, who starred in the TV series “Monk,” had to show up because he’s married to Brook. Also making a splash at the event were Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Lisa Kudrow, Laura Linney, Neil Patrick Harris, Conan O’Brien, John Slattery and French Stewart.

Madeleine is the widow of Gardner McKay, star of the 1960s “Adventures in Paradise” TV show. Her Honolulu friends, such as Realtor Robyn A. Schaefer and Antoine and Ceasarina Spinelli of Bottega Antoine Salon, flew in for the event. Former isle resident Jean Dickinson, now living in L.A., stopped by to say hello. The Spinellis were also in town visiting their son Yves Spinelli, a longtime L.A. resident …

P.F. CHANG’S co-founder Philip Chiang is an interesting guy. Besides his devotion to food, Philip is a fine artist. He was here to celebrate the Hokua P.F. Chang’s fifth anniversary Oct. 5. He’s a personable, lean and lanky guy. I told him I pictured a short, round guy for a P.F. Chang’s co-founder and chef. He smiled and added, “like a Buddha.”

Philip was born in Shanghai and grew up in Tokyo before relocating to San Francisco. In the early 1960s, his mother opened The Mandarin, one of the first Chinese restaurants in the U.S. to serve Chinese food from regions other than Canton. After graduating with a BFA at the Art Center College of Design in L.A., Philip ran The Mandarin for several years. He hooked up with Paul Fleming in 1992 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and they opened the first P.F. Chang’s a year later. Today there are more than 200 P.F. Chang’s worldwide. After his Honolulu visit he went to the Philippines on restaurant business. P.F. Chang’s got unsolicited plugs on “South Park” and “The Big Bang Theory.” There was also a P.F. Chang’s in the film, “Hangover Part II” …

THOSE 79 beautiful blue-and-white lei worn at a mahalo dinner by major donors to Kapiolani Medical Center’s Campaign for Hawaii’s Children were made by Annie Mendigorin. Annie lives on the mainland but was born at Kapiolani. Two of her kids were also born at Kapiolani. Each lei comprised 170 painstakingly hand-folded origami stars.

The dinner for 300 people was held Sept. 10 at the convention center. Attending were campaign committee chairs Bert Kobayashi and Dee Jay Mailer, CEO of Kamehameha Schools whose first job was as a nurse at Kapiolani, and donors Jim Nabors, Jeanette Magoon, Peter and Michelle Ho and Steven Ai.

The lei went to those who had already stepped up to get the campaign off the ground, collectively raising a total of $13.5 million toward the goal of $30 million. You can see Annie’s “Blue Hawaii” lei at: www.etsy.com/listing/77292704/blue-hawaii. To support the Kapiolani campaign, go to www.kapiolanigift.org …

SINGER Ray Brown Jr., a son of jazz royalty, will perform with the Honolulu Jazz Quartet Wednesday, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Gordon Biersch at Aloha Tower Marketplace. Ray is the son of the great vocalist Ella Fitzgerald; his dad, Ray Brown, was a famous bass player. Junior lives on the Big Isle …