$2 million donation will bring music to Plaza's water attraction

JANN HENDRY/Acorn NewspaperNaming rights for what could become a singular attraction in Thousand Oaks can be purchased for $2 million. With a donation of that size to the Alliance for the Arts, the fountain outside the Kavli Theatre at the Civic Arts Plaza would become a musical fountain, spraying water that seems to dance to show tunes.

The fountain outside the lobby of the performing arts center already attracts people who enjoy its simple water spouts spraying gently into the air and then back down into a rectangular pool. Tables and chairs sit on the patio beside it outside the theater, near the city manager's office.

"It's become an entertainment venue unto itself," said Patricia Jones, president and executive director of Alliance for the Arts. "People go out and stand beside the fountain and watch the water. It's beautiful."

She hopes that by adding numbers from musicals, the fountain will become even more entertaining.

"If someone out there can do it, regardless of the economic times, it will be a feelgood thing for them to give money to help the arts," Jones said.

Plus, that person or organization can name the fountain.

Other naming opportunities at the Civic Arts Plaza include the circular driveway area for $1 million, the Kavli Theatre lobby for $1 million and the interior patio area for $500,000, Jones said. "Once these naming opportunities are sold, they're gone," Jones said.

The alliance office is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdayand is to the left of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza/city hall lobby, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. For more information, call (805) 449-2590.