City gets a room with an artistic view

Lolita Harper

City leaders have put their money where their motto is and

presented a $50,000 check to South Coast Repertory, furthering the

effort to become the city of the arts.

In one of her last official acts, former Mayor Linda Dixon

presented repertory officials with the check to bolster fund-raising

efforts in expanding the theater. In return for the city’s generous

contribution, the theater will name a classroom after its hometown:

The Costa Mesa room.

“I think this is a very big step for our community and the

council,” Dixon said. “This is going to go down in history, and there

will be a classroom there for all the young children to see that the

city of Costa Mesa contributed to the arts.”

Dixon, who trained at various professional arts academy in her

youth, always pushed for her council colleagues to see the importance

of the theater, visual art and music. Her push to endorse such a

large contribution did not come without serious council scrutiny.

When the item came before the council during budget discussions in

June, local leaders questioned the amount. Council members wanted

city recognition for the classroom without the high price tag.

Then-Councilwoman Karen Robinson suggested the amount be cut in

half and asked theater officials if the room could still be named for

the city in light of a decreased amount.

No, was the blunt answer from theater representatives, who said

they have a specific donation requirement for recognizing donors.

Council members were told the city would receive a plaque for the

discounted price.

Dixon urged her council members to approve the larger amount and

said the gift spoke loudly of the city’s resolve to create an arts

district in the South Coast area. An entire classroom named after the

city would be much more monumental than a mere plaque.

She won her argument and received majority approval from her

colleagues.

Dixon said she was thrilled to present South Coast Repertory with

the money last month and could not wait for budding young actors and

entertainers to hone their skills in the Costa Mesa room.

* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.