Mendel Center welcomes return of in-person events

Dear Mendel Center Patrons, 

Last season, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we contemplated art and its power to heal, transform, and inspire. While disappointed that we couldn’t share events face-to-face with our patrons, we chose to look at the situation as an opportunity to try out new ways to connect with our community – online, outdoors, and indoors. Among the groundbreaking highlights were: 

• A virtual, locally focused speaker series explored why the arts matter in times of crisis, mental health issues and disparities in our community, social justice and advocacy work happening at the grassroots level, and the pandemic economy. 
• Our first-ever Drive-in Live Series offered a diverse line-up of local and regional musicians. 
• Our first-ever virtual Broadway series brought internationally known productions into living rooms, coupled with post-show discussions with some of the creative forces behind those productions. 
• We proudly rolled up our sleeves and supported Spectrum Health Lakeland and the Berrien County Health Department as they administered more than 20,000 COVID-19 vaccines in Grand Upton Hall. 
• With the help of individual and business contributors, and a generous challenge grant from the Frederick S. Upton Foundation, our Creating Bridges campaign raised more than $100,000. This allowed us to continue delivering innovative programs at a time when our community needed it most. To all who participated, THANK YOU! 

We look forward to welcoming everyone back to The Mendel Center with the 2021-2022 season of in-person events. The lineup is a compilation of performance and speaker commitments from two separate seasons – six events postponed from spring of 2020, and a partially built 2020-2021 in-person season that didn’t happen. Stay tuned as we round out the season with additional exciting and diverse performers and special engagements. 

In addition to touring productions, we will continue to serve our purpose as a true community center, hosting hundreds of public and private events for individuals and groups from our Benton Harbor hometown and beyond. And outside our walls, The Mendel Center is putting its resources behind grassroots community initiatives more than ever before. 

Through it all, The Mendel Center motivation and mission continues based on five principles: 

Inspiration: Elevating individual and community perspectives during challenging times.  

Connection: Valuing human interaction and cultivating meaningful relationships. 

Gratitude: Expressing appreciation for those working to make themselves and our community better. 

Flexibility: Continually exploring, pivoting, and innovating to create the best experiences possible. 

Inclusiveness: Listening to diverse voices and acting to better serve and empower ALL individuals in our community. 

We welcome your feedback as we travel together on this journey. In the end, our goal is to bring you meaningful Mendel Center experiences that make a positive difference in your life. 

Mike Nadolski, 
Executive Director 

Grace Kelmer,
Director 

Tickets may be purchased anytime online, or 2-6 p.m. weekdays by calling (269) 927-8700, Option 1. or visiting the box office located in the Grand Upton Hall lobby (parking lot entrance 3). Have a ticket purchasing or event question? Email us at boxoffice@lakemichigancollege.edu