Civic Arts Plaza to Make a Name for Itself

If the silver spurs, 10-gallon hats and red bandannas bouncing through Conejo Valley Days this week start to seem a bit hokey, Thousand Oaks’ cultural mavens can offer some relief: a delicate gold stickpin boosting the Civic Arts Plaza.

The rectangular pins, which feature a leaping dancer against a turquoise background, will sell for $3 apiece at this week’s Western-themed festival.

They’re the first--and likely the cheapest--of an expected gush of Civic Arts Plaza paraphernalia. From limited-edition medallions to colorful silk-screened T-shirts, a barrage of mementos bearing the performing arts center’s logo should hit Thousand Oaks this summer and fall.

The merchandise, which must be licensed by the city attorney, will commemorate both the Civic Arts Plaza’s grand opening and Thousand Oaks’ 30th anniversary.

Most will bear one of the Civic Arts Plaza’s logos: a graceful silhouette known as the “Exuberant Muse,” or two dancers cavorting on a stylized piano keyboard under an oak tree.

In approving the concept late Tuesday, Thousand Oaks council members turned all licensing decisions over to a citizens committee organizing October’s grand opening.

As executive director of the performing arts center, Tom Mitze has established just one ground rule--no weapons can be licensed. In lieu of assault rifles, he suggested the Exuberant Muse might look good on tote bags, cups and other inexpensive, family-oriented products.

“We could have everything from crystal goblets all the way on down to coffee mugs,” theater Commissioner Julian Macdonald said. “We could have a tremendous price range, so everyone in the community would have a keepsake.”

Under the program approved Tuesday, vendors must first approach the citizens committee with proposals. They can then negotiate for the right to use the Civic Arts Plaza logos. Vendors selling the merchandise for charity might get a discount, whereas others might have to pay a percentage of their profits in royalties, Mitze said.

Eventually, a group called Friends of the Civic Arts Plaza may set up a permanent souvenir store in the building’s lobby. For now, however, most marketing will focus on the grand opening.

Former Thousand Oaks resident Scott Bennett, now an account executive at Liberty Mint in Utah, told the council his firm is prepared to launch a line of medallions. Bennett believes he could sell several thousand silver coins for about $30 apiece.