CURTAIN COMPETITION REVS UP FIRMS LINE UP FOR MAKEOVER OF CONTROVERSIAL ARTWORK.

Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - A design firm that emerged as the sole contender two years ago to give the derided Copper Curtain a makeover - only to see the city table its contract - will face competition this time around.

Rami Designs, with team members S. Molaf & Associates Inc. and GAR Energy Management Group, is planning to submit four proposed designs to fix up the defamed curtain - including the stainless steel oak tree overlay that a two-member City Council committee reviewed in October.

But at least two other artists also plan to submit bids by the 5:30 p.m. March 17 deadline - though another said his firm would likely step aside because the issue is a political hot potato.

``We will be submitting four distinct designs, all variations of the oak tree,'' said George Abramson of GAR in Westlake Village. ``Everything is in place.''

Abramson said two of the designs call for colored ceramic tiles, which the children could design and paint. He also said they propose to invite residents to put their names, date and a message on the design - so it becomes in effect a time capsule.

The council committee in October withheld recommending the $296,000 contract with Rami to the City Council after two artists at the meeting pitched designs that were less costly.

The committee decided to reopen the bidding process, which had closed in November 1998.

The curtain-like sculpture, 50-feet tall by 60-feet wide, hangs on the east wall of the Civic Arts Plaza on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, facing the Ventura Freeway.

Almost since its 1994 debut, detractors likened the $150,000 sculpture consisting of 2,000 hanging copper strips to a refrigerator grill.

Now, Karl West of Chatsworth and his partner plan to give Rami a run for their money.

Their proposal that prompted the committee to postpone action last October entails dismantling the curtain. It also calls for taking children's hand impressions on pigmented plastic for use as leaves in a stylized image of an oak tree.

``We are going to elaborate the trunk a bit but we will be sticking with our wonderful, unique idea and, hopefully, the City Council will agree with it,'' said West.

West said costs for the design, originally pegged at between $150,000 and $200,000, will be ready in the early part of next week.

Scott Robertson of Thousand Oaks said he and his artist brother, Lee Robertson, will submit a proposal but he declined to reveal the design.

Eli Balach, owner of Arketset, said his architectural firm in Simi Valley was still considering whether to submit a bid.

``Right this moment, we don't have anything finalized,'' he said. ``We won't know until another couple of days where we stand on that.''

But Scott Bailey of Signature Signs in Newbury Park, who in October proposed a design of an oak tree etched onto the Copper Curtain for less than $100,000, said although no final decision has been made it's unlikely his company will submit a bid.

``It's a political hot potato,'' he said. ``I think (the curtain) is done the way it is.''

Bailey said the sign that the city recently commissioned his company to install above the curtain is all that is needed.

``As far as putting anything on the curtain, it's someone else's art piece,'' he said. ``It's nice the way it is.

``My sense is, nothing is going to be done anyway,'' he said. ``The Copper Curtain won't come down. It's been up for a long time and there are some in the community who like it, believe it or not.

``It's paid for. It would be a huge black eye for the city if it took it down,'' Bailey said. ``It will stay up and stay the way it is. And with the sign now above it, it looks more like a deliberate piece of art.''

Bailey said what the city really needs is for something to go on the west wall of the building.

``We are going to suggest to the council that they paint a big mural of a dancing muse logo on the wall, it's cost-effective and balances out the curtain.''

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Photo: (1 -- 4 -- color) Down to four designs.