One, two, three, four.

Get my shoes then out the door.

Five I'm alive, six, seven, eight feelin' great.

Nine, gonna shine, life is good I'm doing fine.

Ten, Gonna do it right then do it again.

Yeah yeah.

I look up to the sky with all the beautiful color but, there's more than just for me so gonna share it with another.

I got to show, to give, let out, I want to sing and shout.

Take a look and see A beautiful morning that turns into beautiful evening.

And together make a beautiful life.

And if you want see, then come along with me.

That's right.

Welcome to Experience Michiana.

We're so glad you're joining us today.

We have a great lineup for you.

We're going to be talking to Dave.

And he is headed over to the wild and Wander Place studio.

Now that's over in Elkhart.

It's a new space.

You want to be sure to see what they have to offer, especially for your younger families.

I also had the opportunity to check out the Midwest Museum of American Art over in Elkhart.

Okay, it's an Elkhart Day, that's for sure.

And this is an amazing museum if you haven't been there already.

They have some new exhibits you want to make sure to check those out.

Okay.

So next week we're going to talk about the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and what they're doing.

But now we are going to be checking out one of my favorite places, Premier Arts over in Elkhart.

Fiddler on the roof is headed to your doorstep.

All right.

It is time for matchmaker.

Matchmaker?

Make me a match.

So you always do this to me.

Every time I find you tempt me, and then you don't audition.

Next time.

Oh.

You heard it.

Here, people.

All right, we're here with some of my favorite people.

Right from your art.

This is an exciting production.

I mean, Fiddler on the roof is a staple in the musical realm.

Would you say that in Life is Right?

Okay.

I love that so many people have said to me, I love that you're doing Fiddler.

I love Fiddler.

So many people said, well, you know what?

I said, if you ever do Fiddler, I'll audition.

And then I held them to that.

And, you know, it's funny because I think so many high schools do it.

And so it's a part of our early development that it kind of stays with people for the rest of their lives.

And the story is so moving and beautiful and weirdly timely.

Yes it is.

And okay, now, Megan, tell us, what is your role.

Sure.

I'm currently well, I'm auditioning.

Well, I didn't audition.

I auditioned for my first show, and this will be my theatrical debut as a first time on this show.

I'm on the stage, I live on a first timer and as a mother's ensemble.

Okay.

Very good.

And you have children in the cast too?

I do.

My daughter Avery is Bianca in the youth show, and my daughter Kayla is in the daughter's ensemble for main stage.

And I know Craig, you and I have talked about this all the time, but it's all a community here.

Any time we're talking about the performing arts, and I'm sure you're finding that to be true now that you are also on stage with your kids.

Yes.

I love Premiere Arts.

It gives us an opportunity to not only help outside of the stage, join the community, and now, for the first time, be on stage.

But, my daughter Kayla has been a part of this community since she was seven years old.

And, I've been a volunteer and helped painted, shed learn how to do different things in the workshop.

So it's been amazing, I love that.

Okay, so for anybody who maybe doesn't know what Fiddler on the roof is all about, oh, Craig, give us a little synopsis.

what rock do you live under?

I know, I know, right.

So Megan is actually serving kind of as a cultural attache, if you will, for us to make sure this all of the the Jewish, things that are happening in the show are truly represented based on the time in which we live, which is like 1905, in Russia.

Okay.

And in that time, the Russian people are saying, Jewish people have got to go and they're pushing them out of their of their home, which is really a really an interesting thing because the Russian people and the Jewish people, in some instances, have lived there their whole lives together, grown up together.

Right.

And so, like, there's a little confusion, like, why now?

We've lived here.

This has been the corner of our world forever.

Why would we have to move?

And, you know, for the Jewish population, we've seen that repeat it through history, which is just such a fascinating, kind of a dialog to have as a, as a group and an important one, too.

Yeah.

You know, history repeats itself if you don't learn it.

Yeah.

Sometimes even when you do.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's it's kind of crazy.

But one thing Megan didn't mention that I think is super important is that her mother in law is also in this.

Oh yes.

Oh my goodness.

So we were talking about thing about her.

Yeah.

So three generations.

And the thing I love about that is that Kayla and Avery had mentioned this to, you know, to their families.

And they both said if they ever do Fiddler.

They actually they like, really held true to their word.

So, that's that's our new strategy.

We're going to make those children make their parents promise to do it, and then we're gonna pick those shows.

I love that, but I think that really deepens the community.

One thing I love about Premier Arts as a whole, but especially this show, is there is a multigenerational effect.

Right?

And so grandmas and daughters and fathers and grandpas and uncles and, you know, are all on stage together.

And then eventually what happens is that becomes your extended family.

Yeah.

You know, I mean, making your grandma's my grandma, right?

Beware.

You, you.

Absolutely.

And, Megan, you have a special connection.

You serve on the board for the Jewish Federation of Saint Joseph Valley, and they're partnering up for this, aren't they?

Yes, yes.

We truly appreciate that.

Premier Arts reached out and asked us to be a partner.

The Jewish Federation of Saint Joseph Valley is a connecting point for all of the Jewish community within the Michiana area.

Not only do we raise funds for local community members, but also globally as well, it allows us to bring together our own cultures, and do celebrations.

Our biggest cultural event is actually coming up the week after Fiddler.

It's the Jewish Film Festival, which is open to the entire community.

It takes place on Notre Dame's campus at the DeBartolo theater.

And so we showcase, different films that are made by Jewish people from around the world.

And additionally, we also have a summer camp that's open to the community as well.

And so it's really nice that we're able to have an opportunity to meet members of Premiere Arts, as well as engage within the community and the community.

Right?

I mean, that's what Fiddler is all about.

It's about community and it's about tradition.

And are you able to help kind of bring that into the performances with your knowledge and your experiences?

Sure.

Craig has been fabulous about that.

Very welcoming to, to listening to what we do do in our Jewish homes, as well as pronunciations of words within the show.

And being very respectful and trying to make it as realistic as possible.

So it's been wonderful out of that.

Now, Craig, this is not your first time, I think, doing Fiddler or is it.

No.

Oh, it's the first time I've played Tevye.

Oh, I mean, that's why I'm dressed like this, right?

Oh, did you come?

I didn't come today like this just for the for the heck of it.

Well, you look great.

Thanks so much.

So, yeah, I have done Fiddler a lot.

This.

You know, this is a funny thing.

I was sitting around the table with the creative people in our organization, and we were talking about the show, and I thought, you know, I would like to play Tevye at some time, but I don't know that I'm really old enough.

And collectively, in unison, they all said, you are like, what?

Oh my gosh.

And so but it is like a whole other like level or meeting of, of of involvement.

I, I was all from the bookseller in college.

I have directed it a couple times.

Is there anything unique that you're doing this round that maybe you haven't tried before, like learning all those lines?

Right.

Lucky for me, Jackie Jerlecki is my co-director.

She's my choreographer.

We are of one mind often, and it is a really a joy just to watch and to be able to put my shoulders down, relax into it, let her give the notes.

Let me just kind of, you know, enjoy being Tevye.

Okay.

Now you guys have a number of performances coming up.

Let us know when are they?

Because there's also a kid's performance of Fiddler is.

And you know, what I love about this is May 9th, 10th and 11th.

Okay.

So it is a perfect thing for Mother's Day, and it's a mother's day treat.

And if you come on Mother's Day, there's also a brunch at the Crystal ballroom.

So you could bring your mom to brunch and then you could come to the show.

But it's Friday and Saturday and Sunday, and that Saturday afternoon is reserved for the kids.

Like Megan was saying, Avery, her youngest, is in that show.

And you know, people are constantly saying to me, Fiddler with kids.

Okay, but it's our oh, and our kids are so talented and so mature that they really are just tackling this material.

And they are a joy to be in rehearsal with.

I mean, they get it.

And if they don't get it, they, they, they soak it up at the sponge and they really are, are really doing a fine job.

And so, you know, if you, if you we often say that really the people who come see that are in their sphere of influence, their circle.

But if you're really interested in seeing the future of what we have in our community, coming to one of our kids shows would be a great thing.

And, and the thing I love the most about the kids show is that when you're talking about, like, the Jewish people being pushed away from their homelands and all of these things, these kids are like, they don't get it.

And what a wonderful place to live where they don't understand that separation and that that kind of hate and angst and haven't experienced that in their world.

I love that for them and I hope that they keep it forever.

I love it.

Well, you guys can get your tickets on the website or show up box office if there's any tickets left.

I'm sure this is going to be a phenomenal performance for you guys, so come be a part of the community here at Premier Arts.

As a father of an almost two year old.

One of the things you're always looking for is places to be able to go with your child that they love.

And so far, my daughter is over here and loving every minute of it.

Isn't that right, Kennedy?

Right on cue.

And I'm here right now with the owners of this.

Can you tell me the name of it where we are?

Kristen, let's start with you.

Hi.

Welcome.

This is Wild and Wonder Place studio.

Lindsay and I are co-owners, indoor play space for kids to have fun with their parents.

I love it, so, I love, of all the places I've gone to, this seems to be the most well decorated, the most well thought out.

I mean, there's a lot of fun places around.

I'm not bashing on anything.

This is also brand new, but feels like a little village in here as well.

Like it's really fun.

So what was the vision behind starting it and and the vision behind how you decorated it?

So we wanted it to be more like a small little town, right?

So we have our imaginative play, space over here with the houses, the hospital, the farmers market.

And then we have kind of like a park setting on this side, with the balance being the teeter totter and the play structure with the slide.

The infant area is also a great space for the the tiny one.

Yeah.

For the little ones.

Well, the other thing too, when you become a parent for the first time, which we did less than two years ago, is you can feel very isolated too.

So when you come somewhere like this, it's really a great way to meet other parents as well.

Yeah, it's a great place for the kids to socialize.

It's also a great place for, you know, moms, dads, grandparents to come to meet other parents that are kind of in the same, you know, season that everybody else is in.

Yeah.

So sometimes it can feel a bit rough and there's something less energy zapping about being surrounded by other people at the same time, you know?

So sometimes it can be intimidating going to other places with the older kids and stuff like that.

So kind of putting everybody together, that's that same age group and seeing them all interact and in a place that's comfortable and safe and safe.

Yeah, absolutely.

And obviously your daughter right now is helping to look after my daughter who's going to run over my toes.

Ow Yeah.

And we like a lot of that too.

And the little ones also learn from the bigger kids.

And then the bigger kids also help the little ones.

So I've actually been so pleasantly surprised when we go to places.

How I don't know how old she is.

3 or 4.

She's three.

I've been pleasantly surprised just how caring the three and four year olds are towards the younger.

They're so gentle with them.

In most cases not so much the boys.

Yeah, and but no, but they really want to help them along.

Or if they see they're struggling to get up on something, they're so gentle with them and it's, it's actually been great to see that, what, three and four year olds as well with her.

Yes it is.

It's so nice to see them all interacting and play together.

Yeah.

And you know, they like being the the bigger the bigger siblings.

Yeah.

Kristen, what's it like having a business with your sister?

Because you are sisters.

We are so, so and so.

What's that like?

Because Lindsay runs the day to day.

I work for, local community schools and doing, therapy for kids with disabilities.

So that's kind of my background.

Yeah.

Lindsay is the master, you know, all of the the back side of business, and, yeah, she's she's doing a great job.

Yeah.

I mean, I think we definitely, had a good collaboration on, on our, you know, our dream, our vision of what this place is.

And, I mean, we've already kind of started to add programs into this space as far as, like, our music programs and our reading with the Elkhart Public Library.

And it's great that you're adding all those programs.

And I know that you have a room back here as well, which also is a place for, families to come and have birthday party.

Yeah, we offer a space for the, in the party room for birthday parties, special events.

We offer, private parties as well.

If you just want to come and just rent the space with just you and your friends, it doesn't have to be a birthday party.

You also, like you're here beside Martin's on Bristol Street in Elkhart, and you also wanted to put in here, too, because it is a little bit of a desert when it comes to places for kids to be able to come.

Right.

Yeah.

We definitely enjoy the, the calm environment that's surrounding the place as well.

The parking lot is a safe space to get in and out of with the little ones because, I mean, we all know how it is sometimes to get out of a crowded place with little ones.

So just kind of being in this calmer space, really just was like the footprint of what we were doing as well.

So we are also trying to, you know, stop families from having to always drive to Mishawaka and.

Yeah, and other places where this of is in Mishawaka, and it's hard to find anything locally in our area for especially the little ones to enjoy.

So that's why we chose this space and this city I love.

Also, as I look behind here, your daughter is teaching my daughter to go down the slide, on her belly and everything.

So yeah, so she is a pro at that.

Yeah.

This is a lot of fun and I absolutely love it here.

And what else have you got going on this food and coffee for the parents.

We offer snacks for the little ones.

We also have a, self-serve coffee bar so moms can come in, grab a cup of coffee, sit down, relax.

And they can see their child from any, anywhere they have a great cafe area that, you know, parents can do work on the computer and monitor their kids while they're playing.

And it's just a different environment, you know, I talked a little bit off camera about the junior achievement of Elkhart County and how, I don't know if you've ever seen them, but they they have an indoor business village where the it reminds me of this.

So you go inside and they have like bank set up and everything to teach young kids and teenagers about how to open checking accounts and things like that.

So it's funny, the second I walked in here, that's what it kind of reminded me of.

I don't know if you even knew that existed, but it's got a it's got a similar feel, which is actually really cool.

So I thought maybe that was some of your inspiration, but no, it's not just what made you think of having a farmer's market and a hospital and things like that.

So kids learn through play, right?

So, any imaginative play is really healthy.

So having, you know, a grocery store and the kitchen, it just is, you know, just learning through play.

Yeah.

So the imaginative houses are, it was the big staple for us.

Yeah.

Oh, and it looks amazing.

I mean, you guys must have put a lot of effort into creating this space.

I mean, yeah, it was a lot of fun, though.

It was really enjoyed.

It worked.

Okay.

You were meant for this because even just yesterday, I had to cut the grass and I was thinking how, like, annoying that is.

So you were just, like, loving all this.

But I guess that's why you do what you do.

And, And what hours are you open and things like that.

And what's your address here so people know.

So we're located we're located at Cobblestone Crossing.

It's 4000 East Bristol Street or Suite eight.

Okay.

We're open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then Saturdays are 9 to 11 and Sundays are 10 to 2.

We offer birthday parties on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays.

So our hours kind of on Saturday and Sundays, depending on if we have parties or not.

Okay.

And what is your general hope for the community if they think of this business, what do you want them to to feel after being here?

We want them to just, you know, know that at the end of the play, like they they had a good time, they got some energy out.

Maybe they're time for a nap.

You know, I don't know.

Yeah I don't know.

I mean I definitely want them to feel like this is a safe zone, right?

Where they know that the next time they come and every time they come that they're safe and they're kids are having fun.

Yeah.

Well, great.

I mean, this has to I feel like as a parent you have like a root of about 4 or 5 places that you constantly go to.

And I feel like this should definitely be on the top of people's list because it's beautiful.

And I'm looking forward to spending a few minutes here with my daughter having a coffee and just, just enjoying it because it's it is absolutely wonderful.

So congratulations for getting this far.

Yeah.

And I hope the community really supports you.

So thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

We're continuing our stroll in Elkhart today, and we're heading over here to some beautiful art.

The Midwest Museum of American Art.

And I've been here before, and you guys have some new stuff going on, and especially the view from outside.

Thanks for joining me today.

Thanks.

We're happy to have you here.

This is kind of a look our a peek inside.

Tell us about this new, display that you guys have going on.

Well, we decided that visibility was an important issue coming into this new year.

And a lot of people, have suggested to us that they weren't really sure where the museum was, what it was all about.

And so we're trying to present some new signage in the way of vignette of works of art on display in the museum's collection, some of which are nationally recognized.

I love it.

So these are what you're seeing out here.

You can find it indoors, too.

Yeah.

Right.

Exactly.

All right, well, let's go ahead and doors and see what you guys have going on.

Okay.

Well, and we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that right now we have three exhibits going on.

Yeah, through, June 8th Politics and religion.

Okay, let's go take a look.

Well, you're entering the Sanctum Sanctorum, the main gallery, referred to as the Burns Gallery here.

And you see immediately the one that's outside, right.

Exactly.

Yeah.

Okay, there it is.

I love it.

And this piece happens to be by, a legacy artist, one of the senior members of our art tribe, Abner Hershberger, who's 92 years old, still alive, still alive and working and living in Goshen.

And we are the, permanent collection for his legacy.

So we own over 70 works.

This is just one of them.

Does he still do any kind of museum talks with you guys as he has in the past?

Okay, but you can still have museum talk show every week.

Yes.

Without fail.

Every Thursday they're called noon talks and they were from 1215 to 115 every Thursday.

Do you have that on your website.

So you can see we do have it on the website.

We have a newsletter.

So yes, we have many ways to get it out to people.

All right.

Let's keep okay.

Okay.

Well as we move into these north galleries of course permanent collection maintains there.

And here we start, the first of three exhibits here, the overarching, exhibit theme here is politics and religion.

Okay.

This happens to be the work of Seattle based photographer Nate Gowdy, and he was an eyewitness to the events that unfolded on January the 6th, 2021.

And he produced a book about it, which he will be here on.

He will have been here and have talked about, but these will remain on view.

These are large scale versions of over 100 images and shot hundreds of images in the book.

There's about 100.

This is ten of a special sweet representing that January 6th historic event.

You notice here, too, that there is a single panel written by Nate Gowdy and these are uninterrupted by a gallery label.

I noticed that.

So yeah, because I'm a gallery label reader so that this way, to read this and then to reflect on these as historic moments, as artifacts, presented in the way they are, they are certainly at the level of fine art photography.

Yeah.

But the experience is about thinking and reading this and thinking about it and then forming your own conclusion in this safe environment.

You know, the museum is a safe environment where many ideas come to the foreground, in particular those artists that speak out and reflect certain current events.

Let's head over to the next space.

Let's go back here.

Okay.

Oh, this is interesting.

Oh I love this one.

That one catches my eye.

That's pretty cool.

Yeah.

We have several unique pieces a counter, event of this trilogy of exhibits and book ending.

Nate Gowdy, these photographs are these early etchings by Gabor Peterdi was about 19 years old when he was studying in Paris in the 1930s.

So these range in date from 1936.

So just after World War Two, in 1946, and because Peterdi was born in Budapest, Hungary, and came to America after trying to escape Europe.

While he was there, he was thinking about all of these things that were happening politically, geopolitically, and certainly the threat of gathering war clouds.

So he used in essence, symbolism, like Hungary, Wolf, stallions rearing stallions, like the German army was very full of that kind of pomp and parade circumstance.

And if certainly the idea of the Holocaust starts to play itself out in later work.

So this was his way of announcing, trying to deal with.

And then afterwards.

And during the war, he was a specialist assigned to hunt Nazi war criminals because he could speak five languages as well.

But he came back to America.

And the really American story there for Peterdi is that he became one of the two most important tap routes of printmaking.

The art of printmaking in America, teaching subsequent generations that went out and became professors and artists.

So he taught for 23 years at Yale University.

So again, these are the earliest works in our collection.

And like that of Abner Hershberger, we're a really large repository thanks to that one doc, Stephen Konate.

We now own over 139 works by Peterdi.

And that to me signals the largest public collection.

That's amazing outside of Yale University.

Absolutely.

So we this is this is, you know, part of the politics and religion.

Yeah.

This is called, Echoes of War.

And he will be speaking at a noontime talk.

Okay.

Great.

So we can get information about that too.

Now, you guys have other stuff happening in the gallery's space, too.

I mean, recently you guys just started yoga.

Oh, yeah, we're doing yoga in the studio.

We started on April 18th.

It's very exciting.

Jenny Nolan, who's with Pura Vida, she is doing this every Friday through the end of June.

How cool is that added cost for that?

So now, Jennifer, we are in the next gallery here because this continues.

There's a lot of space here.

There's a lot of art to share with you.

Tell us a little bit about this particular.

Well, this is a New York artist Sue Cue.

And she makes, does a lot of pieces that are political.

There's undertones.

And in this one, this is abolition.

So this fits perfectly with politics and religion and maybe not with current politics, but certainly in, our very, vibrant U.S history.

Sure.

So, so yeah, so that's why she's represented here.

And we have several other pieces in this exhibit by Sue Cue we have an animal farm piece down here.

Okay.

And again, if you've read Animal Farm, it has political overtones.

And then this one's kind of interesting I think this is another Sue Cue piece.

And this is old.

It's back when Clarence Thomas was being confirmed for the Supreme Court.

And it may be too old for some people to remember, but this is when Anita Hill made allegations against Clarence Thomas, of sexual harassment.

And, this is the embodiment of how, at least they felt in.

So co-found a New York artists about how she was treated basically being burned at the stake.

So there's so much relevance here too for people to come in and reflect.

Absolutely.

And I know you guys have some other events that are coming up here too in the museum.

We do, we do.

We have the 46th anniversary.

And that is a big deal for you guys.

All right?

I mean, four more years, 50 years.

It's hard to believe.

Time flies.

Right?

Yeah.

And but one of our big donors who, Brian has mentioned earlier is Doctor Stephen Conant.

He is being honored, and he has donated over 1500 pieces of art to the museum since 1993.

Celia Weez will be our musical performance.

So it should be a great time.

And it is free to our members.

And it's.

Yes, and it's $10 for nonmembers.

How wonderful.

So people where can they get your hours.

Well we can go to our website or Facebook or Instagram, but our website is certainly the spot.

Midwest museum dot org.

And you can see all of this information unfolded in various pages in our time as, we're open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 11 to 5.

Okay.

And on Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 5.

I love it.

And we just did a little sampling, but there is so much more to hear.

You guys have to come check out what's going on here at the Midwest Museum.

Thank you so much.

Oh, thanks for coming.

So many neat things to explore here in Michiana, and we're going to be checking out this museum next weekend.

We're talking bringing the music into the museum.

I'll see you next week.

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