Johnson County Community College’s
Midwest Trust Center
Announces Light Up the Lawn Concerts

Overland Park, KS (May 20, 2024) Stacie McDaniel, Executive Director, the Midwest Trust Center, today
announced the concert lineup for Light Up the Lawn, featuring local musicians with rich histories. They
include Mariachi Estrella on August 16, The Freedom Affair on August 23, and Marty Bush on August 30. All
concerts will start at 8:30 p.m. on the lawn of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art (Johnson County
Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210). High-res photos with IDs can be found
here.

McDaniel said, “We are proud to offer these free concerts featuring the best of the region’s music scene. Thanks
to our on-campus partner, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, for helping us bring this experience to
our community. Each night will feature great music, passionate performances and lots of energy.” Bring your
blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets for these fun events! No reservations required. Come early to enjoy
food from local food trucks before each concert.

Performances details include:
August 16 – Mariachi Estrella is a Kansas City favorite, performing at venues across the metro including a
halftime performance for the Kansas City Chiefs. Their vibrant mix of traditional and contemporary mariachi
music with have everyone dancing.

August 23 – The Freedom Affair is a female-fronted soul powerhouse inspired by the traditions of the genre’s
past with an enduring message that looks toward the future. Three dynamic, awe-inspiring singers – Seyko
Groves, Paula Saunders, and Shon Ruffin – share lead and background vocal duties, blending refined harmonies
while backed by an airtight band that meets every musical moment with taste, precision, and a deep pocket.

August 30 – Hailing from the plains of eastern Kansas, Marty Bush is a torchbearer of the American
songwriting tradition. His songs resonate with the weight of his influences such as Townes Van Zandt, Blaze
Foley, and Kris Kristofferson, but he has channeled their emotional honesty and unvarnished truth-telling into
something uniquely his own. His latest LP, “Cowboy Chords,” takes a bold step forward, establishing his voice
as both a songwriter and performer.

Ticket Information
These events are free, but seating is first come, first served. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and
blankets to enjoy the show.

For more information about Light Up the Lawn and the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community
College, visit www.jccc.edu/MidwestTrustCenter.

Midwest Trust Center Series 2024-2025 Season
Sept. 13 Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster
Sept. 14 MTC Kids Jam – Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players*
Sept. 20-21 New Dance Partners The Ultimate Collaboration
Sept. 26 Malevo
Sept. 28 Greg & Dana Newkirk’s Haunted Objects Live*
Sept. 29 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Live in Concert
Oct. 16 Hotel Elsinore*
Oct. 19 Chicago Blues Supersession*
Oct. 26 MTC Kids Jam – Sonia De Los Santos*
Oct. 26 Mariachi Herencia de México Our Latin Thing
Nov. 3 Hyprov starring Colin Mochrie and Asad Mecci
Nov. 17 Paragon Ragtime Orchestra in Meet Me at the Fair!: Music from the Great World’s Fairs
Dec. 6-7 What If Puppets – Shiver Me Paintbrush: A Pirate’s Adventure in Art*
Dec. 13&15 Owen/Cox Dance Group The Nutcracker & the Mouse King*
Dec. 14 Christmas in Killarney
Jan. 18 MTC Kids Jam – Funky Mama*
Jan. 24 Hiplet Ballerinas
Jan. 26 Time For Three*
Feb. 2 Balaklava Blues*
Feb. 15-16 Winterlude Jazz Festival featuring New Orleans Songbook: A Jazz at Lincoln Center
PRESENTS Production
Feb. 21 The Addams Family
Feb. 22 Alisa Amador Trio*
Feb. 23 Imani Winds and Boston Brass
Mar. 6 Goitse*
Mar. 8 MTC Kids Jam – Pierce Freelon*
Mar. 8 Rhythm India: Bollywood and Beyond
Mar. 9 Dirty Dancing in Concert
Mar. 14 L.A. Theatre Works – A Room with a View*
Mar. 16 R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – A Celebration of the Music of Aretha Franklin
Mar. 28 Trey McLaughlin and The Sounds of Zamar
Mar. 29-30 Lyric Opera of Kansas City – Maya and the Magic Ring*
Mar. 29 Trailblazing Women of Country: From Patsy to Loretta to Dolly
Apr. 11 Omnium Circus – I’m Possible
Apr. 19 Uptown
Apr. 26 The Pa’akai We Bring
May 2 Our Planet Live – A Netflix Documentary Series with Dan Tapster*
May 3 MTC Kids Jam – Mister G*
May 10 Opus 76 with David Kim, violin*
May 16 The Brother Brothers*

About Midwest Center, Johnson County Community College
The Midwest Trust Center is Johnson County’s performing arts center. Early on, the founders of Johnson
County Community College (JCCC) dreamed of building a world-class performing arts venue in Johnson
County, Kansas. In 1990, that dream was realized, and the center soon became a cultural hub for the rapidly
growing county. The Midwest Trust Center’s growth parallels that of Johnson County, expanding from 50
events the first season to around 150 annually today. Events include Midwest Trust Center Series, the annual
series of around 25 events presented by JCCC that feature professional, internationally known artists in a wide
variety of genres; academic branches of JCCC; and community groups who rent the space.

In 2020 Johnson County Community College accepted a $1,000,000 donation intended to provide an ongoing
endowment to support the College’s Performing Arts Series. These funds will also provide scholarships for
students studying creative arts at JCCC. As a feature of the donation, the center now bears the name Midwest
Trust Center, a local company founded by Brad Bergman. The donors Brad and Libby Bergman are long-time
supporters of the College, having co-chaired the JCCC Foundation’s annual Some Enchanted Evening Gala – the
largest single fundraising event for student scholarships. Brad has also served as Chair of the JCCC Foundation
Board of Directors. The Bergmans have been consistent supporters of dozens of activities at JCCC. They have
four children, each of whom has benefited from classes taught at the College.

Since 2000, with the development of the Midwest Trust Center Arts Education program, the Midwest Trust
Center also addresses cultural and art-related program needs in K-12 education. The MTC Arts Education
programs include school performances at the Midwest Trust Center, and engagement activities with artists
performing in schools. Master classes, lecture/demonstrations, workshops and other opportunities for interaction
with students happen throughout the year. MTC Arts Education also offers support materials for programs,
study guides, concert previews, plus professional development – creative skills workshops and curriculumbuilding seminars for teachers in arts integration.

The MTC Arts Education had a leadership role in the re-establishment of the Kansas Alliance for Arts
Education, and in 2014 was named a Kennedy Center Partners in Education site, teamed with the Shawnee
Mission School District. An expansion of the Kennedy Center Partnership occurred in 2018 with the addition of
the Liberty Schools, and again in 2019, adding Kansas City Young Audiences, making it one of two cross-state
Kennedy Center Partnerships in the US. MTC Arts Ed is the only Kennedy Center Partner in the state of
Kansas.

For more information, please visit Midwest Trust Center 2024-2025 Season.

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For media inquiries, please contact, Stacie McDaniel, staciemcdaniel@jccc.edu
Or Janell Rinne, jrinne2@jccc.edu

Midwest Trust Center Announces 2024 Light Up the Lawn Concerts

Johnson County Community College’s Midwest Trust Center Announces Light Up the Lawn Concerts

Johnson County Community College’s
Midwest Trust Center
Announces Light Up the Lawn Concerts