COUPLE POOLS MONEY TO AID CULTURAL CENTER; RESIDENTS DONATE $500,000.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

From community theater to world-class symphony performances, George and Diane Jones say they've enjoyed all the gifts the Civic Arts Plaza has offered since its kickoff season in 1994.

And now the Thousand Oaks couple want to give a gift in return - a $500,000 contribution that will support top-notch productions at the venue's two theaters and to boost its educational programming for children throughout Ventura County.

``We have lived here for 14 years now. The community has been very good to us and fortunately we have the wherewithal to do this,'' said George H. Jones, a 50-year-old father, grandfather and retired senior health care executive.

``We feel the arts are something that enhance the cultural literacy of the community,'' he said.

The Jones' half-million-dollar donation represents the second-largest contribution made by individuals. To honor their gift, the Civic Arts Plaza's reflecting pool will be renamed for the couple.

The pool is located outside the City Manager's Office and board rooms as well as the recently renamed Fred Kavli Theater for the Performing Arts, honoring Santa Barbara resident and Moorpark businessman Fred Kavli for his $2.3 million donation last month.

``Most of the time, summer is kind of slow as far as fund-raising goes. But this has been quite a summer for us this year,'' quipped Patricia Moore, executive director of the Alliance for the Arts, the nonprofit fund-raising arm of the Civic Arts Plaza.

The Jones contribution is the most recent donation in an ongoing campaign to raise funds for the Civic Arts Plaza by offering patrons a chance to name a piece of the building after themselves or a loved one.

``This has been a traditional way for performing arts centers, museums, universities to raise money by allowing patrons and donors to leave a legacy and benefit a charity,'' Moore said.

``We have $50 bricks and $1,000 theater seats. We have a park just outside the Civic Arts Plaza that still needs to be named - $2 million. Basically, we have something for everyone,'' she said.

The naming opportunities have drawn most of the $13 million raised by the Alliance and helped establish two endowments - the first to fund the operation of the two theaters and the second to support performances and educational programming.

Jones said he and his wife, Diane, 48, traveled to Los Angeles theaters and music halls for years before the Civic Arts Plaza was built.

``We were very pleased when it was first announced that the city would be building the Civic Arts Plaza here. We were very supportive of the community doing something that would raise the level of cultural awareness,'' he said.