Stadium plate is a hit

Before the City of Omaha began lobbing legal spitballs over marketing rights for Rosenblatt Stadium memorabilia, a local jeweler already had hit a home run with its own ballpark commemorative item.

Borsheims Fine Jewelry has sold more than 1,000 “Remember Rosenblatt” plates since the item was unveiled in September. It is the first piece in the store's Hometown Heritage series, which celebrates famous Omaha landmarks.

Rosenblatt “just seemed to be a perfect fit” to kick off the series, according to Borsheims spokeswoman Adrienne Fay.

“We really weren't thinking about taking advantage of the situation,” Fay said. “We did think that interest in Rosenblatt would be high, but it also was a case of choosing a great piece of artwork to start the Hometown Heritage series.”

Recently, the city announced plans to collect a 7.5 percent merchandise fee on products sold with the Rosenblatt name. The NCAA and CWS Inc. have their own marketing plans for the stadium's final College World Series and are objecting to the fee.

If Borsheims paid a 7.5 percent merchandising fee on 1,000 plates, it would owe the city $4,050.

“Borsheims wants to stay neutral in this discussion,” Fay said. “Our thought is we will comply with whatever the law would rule.”

The 14-inch plate costs $54 and features a watercolor painting by Omaha artist Maureen Beat. It was fused to the plate by renowned glass designer Peggy Karr and its limited run will end in September when the second piece in the series is unveiled.

Beat, who already is working on the second piece, had no comment about the proposed fee but said she is eager to work with Karr again.

“My painting seems to lend itself to Peggy Karr's quality work,” Beat said. “We were able to communicate how to keep the artistic integrity the same between the two mediums.”

Fay said the plate sold very well over the Christmas season and said she expects interest to increase as the stadium nears its final College World Series, which begins June 19.

Beat, a 47-year-old Omaha native, began selling prints of her portrait of Rosenblatt “six or seven years ago” and it has been a very popular item ever since. During the 2009 CWS, Beat set up shop at the Embassy Suites downtown and sold hundreds of matted “Remember Rosenblatt” prints.

Even though the NCAA had its headquarters at the same hotel, Beat said she was never questioned about her right to sell prints of the stadium.

The hotel was also home base for the fans of Louisiana State University, which wound up winning the CWS.

“When LSU had its pep rally before the championship game there had to be 800 to 1,000 people in the ballroom and everyone wanted a picture,” Beat said. “The LSU people love their Tigers and they love Rosenblatt.”

Contact the writer:

444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com

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