The Michiana Education and Arts Club - Social Music In Elkhart
By Donavan Barrier
One place in Michiana looks to be the place for artists of all types to get together and hone their craft.
The Michiana Education and Arts Club - MEAC - is one of the newest venues for artists to express themselves. Started early in 2023, the club seeks to help not just artists reach a wider audience but also help people no matter with whatever they need in terms of education.
Founder Dominic Sobieralski said he started the club in January 2023. In July, after six months of operation as a virtual venue for bands, they moved to their current location in Elkhart to have a physical venue to perform at.
“Right before the pandemic hit, I tried to create a “virtual venue’ stream, and once I had all of the bands lined up and the dates locked in, the pandemic hit, and one by one, the bands dropped off off the bills,” said Sobieralski, “Once the pandemic was over, it seemed as if quite a few of the smaller venues had closed up, so I decided to start a 501c7 social club built around music, literacy, education and the arts.”
Currently, the club has 100 members, with between three and five members volunteering their time to set up the venue for performances and clean up. They also have the option of a “non-reporting” member designation so they can garner support from the wider region and nation for their cause of promoting music and art.
Often, on their social media pages, such as Facebook, the club advertises metal and hardcore punk rock shows, but they are open to hosting other genres of music, including country, funk, and other non-music forms of entertainment, such as comedy.
The attendance levels have varied depending on who performs, but that doesn’t stop them from putting on good shows.
“We have had shows where 80-100 people have shown up, and we have held shows where it was basically bands playing for bands and for MEAC staff.”
According to Sobieralski, despite being only a year and a half in operation, some up-and-coming bands have performed at the venue. They include but are not limited to, The Foleys, Hatezero, Knee Deep in the Dead, Cocaine Connections, and others.
“I think a lot of younger adults haven’t been as exposed to the arts in school when compared to generations who came before them,” he said, “I believe that by promoting arts and having a brick-and-mortar place for people to come and be immersed in them is important to not only the art community but to our member community as well.”
When asked what makes the club unique among countless others, Hicks said they are focused on connecting local artists and musicians with each other.
“There aren’t many social clubs solely built around music and the arts. We would love more local bands and artists to utilize the membership and utilize the space so that we can make it grow. We envisioned a place where we could house music events one night, stand-up comedy another night, a painting workshop the next night, and a members’ movie night the next.
We would love to build a community, and that is what we are slowly doing. As with any small entity, it ebbs and flows. We are hoping that each year brings positive numbers that will bring resources to keep our doors open.”
Music and art aren’t the only topics that the space offers. Other services they provide include help with GED preparation, college, FAFSA application assistance, and help with creating resumes and cover letters. Musicians and print makers also have discounts on recording and screen printing services so they can make their music and their merchandise without breaking the bank.
MEAC’s location is 1165 Edwardsburg Drive, Elkhart, IN. Open Jams, where musicians can join and connect with other artists, are held every Friday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Bands shown are members of the MEAC.