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Public Programs

Check out all of the opportunities for entertainment, learning, and family fun at Ruthmere for the year.

Upcoming Ruthmere events

    • 01 Aug 2023
    • 12 Oct 2023
    • Ruthmere Game Room
    Register

    The 2023 Ruthmere Fall Concert Season

    October 12- Winner of the 2023 Beardsley Piano Prize Competition
    October 26 - Jessica Tong & Michael Sheppard

    November 9 - Tumaini Sango

    November 25- Nicholas Roth & the Euclid Quartet

    Sponsorship Levels

    2023 Presenting Sponsor $6,000

    2023 Individual Concert Sponsor $1,000

    2023 Annual Sponsor $900

    Fall Season Sponsor $500

    Fall Season Pass $80


    NOTE: Sponsors receive both reserved seating and admission to the pre-concert  Artist's Preview Reception for their attended concert.  This reception is held in the Robert Beardsley Arts Reference Library at 6pm and feature champagne toast  and an opportunity to meet the artist.

    Season Pass holders and all Sponsors are offered free attendance at the Beardsley Prize Competition.  Seating first come, first served all afternoon. 

    For more information, or to make reservations call Ruthmere at 574-264-0330 ext. 104. All concerts begin at 7pm and open seating is limited on a first come, first seated basis behind reserved seats.  Doors open at 6:30pm.  

    • 26 Sep 2023
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Ruthmere
    • 1
    Register

    Let your day slow down every Tuesday afternoon during September and October in Ruthmere's garden (unless inclement weather, it will be moved into the Game Room). Bring your own favorite tea cup, or borrow one of ours. Meet your friends, make new friends, or enjoy a quiet seat alone to read a book. Light tea foods will be served. Cost is $15 per person with very limited seating. 

    [Note that if the tea is moved indoors, the Ruthmere Game Room is NOT ADA Accessible. We apologize for any inconvenience.]

    Registration and pre-payment REQUIRED and registration is only accepted up through the Saturday before each tea.


    • 28 Sep 2023
    • 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
    • Ray and Mary Pat Mathis' House
    • 35
    Register

    Our September's End of Quarter Cocktail party will be On the Road to the home Ray and Mary Pat Mathis (51515 Winding Waters Ln. N., Elkhart, IN 46514), the former residence of Lem Beardsley, on Thursday, September 28th from 5-7pm. The theme will be a Scotch tasting.


    Admission for members and their guests is $10 per person; Qualifying donors of  Ruthmere Forever at $100 or more and/or Program Sponsorship at any level get (2) free admissions; and Business members get (2) two free admissions.  EOQs are a great networking opportunity for Business Members!

    If you have an active membership with EOQ attendance benefits (Bronze Patron and higher), then register as "Qualifying Member," and also use the appropriate registration for your additional guests. 



    • 03 Oct 2023
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Ruthmere
    • 0
    Registration is closed

    Let your day slow down every Tuesday afternoon during September and October in Ruthmere's garden (unless inclement weather, it will be moved into the Game Room). Bring your own favorite tea cup, or borrow one of ours. Meet your friends, make new friends, or enjoy a quiet seat alone to read a book. Light tea foods will be served. Cost is $15 per person with very limited seating. 

    [Note that if the tea is moved indoors, the Ruthmere Game Room is NOT ADA Accessible. We apologize for any inconvenience.]

    Registration and pre-payment REQUIRED and registration is only accepted up through the Saturday before each tea.


    • 04 Oct 2023
    • 11:00 AM
    • Ruthmere
    • 16
    Register

    Andrea Hutslar, Outreach Curator, will present a Gallery Talk on,  Dawn of the Death Care Industry"  on Wednesday, October 4th, at 11 am. She will be discussing how the death care industry (businesses that deal with matters of death such as funerals, cremation, memorials, etc.) arose in the 19th century and how (and why) funeral and burial practices drastically changed throughout that time.  She will also cover the advent of embalming, the Victorian fascination with death and ghosts, and some of the issues surrounding medical research.


    Gallery Talks feature a twenty-minute discussion on an object/artwork within the Ruthmere collection or a person or event in local history. Our Gallery Talks are free and open to the public. Sponsored by Sam Sommers.


    • 05 Oct 2023
    • 6:00 PM
    • Havilah Beardsley House
    • 30
    Register

    Todd Zeiger, director of the Northern Regional Office of Indiana Landmarks, will be presenting a program about "Researching the History and Style our your Historic House", on October 5 at 6pm at the Havilah Beardsley House. Learn how to uncover the history of your historic house, previous owners, historic design style and how to read the architectural changes it has had. Registrants can send in a photo of their house to include for analysis and conversation. Admission is $5 for Ruthmere and Indiana Landmarks members and $10 for non-members.  



    • 07 Oct 2023
    • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
    • Rice Cemetery
    • 37
    Register

    Rice Cemetery is the largest city cemetery in the city of Elkhart! Join us to hear the history of the cemetery, see the final resting places of several important Elkhart figures, and learn about a condensed history of funerals and burial practices throughout the ages.

    Tour starts at the Beardsley Memorial. Please bring your own flashlight for safety purposes. Cost is $5 per person.

    Rain date is Sunday, October 8th at 6pm. We will inform attendees the morning of October 7th if the tour is to be postponed.




    • 10 Oct 2023
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Ruthmere
    • 1
    Register

    Let your day slow down every Tuesday afternoon during September and October in Ruthmere's garden (unless inclement weather, it will be moved into the Game Room). Bring your own favorite tea cup, or borrow one of ours. Meet your friends, make new friends, or enjoy a quiet seat alone to read a book. Light tea foods will be served. Cost is $15 per person with very limited seating. 

    [Note that if the tea is moved indoors, the Ruthmere Game Room is NOT ADA Accessible. We apologize for any inconvenience.]

    Registration and pre-payment REQUIRED and registration is only accepted up through the Saturday before each tea.


    • 12 Oct 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Ruthmere Game Room
    • 21
    Register

    Ruthmere Museum will have Pablo Valladaresthe winner of the Sixth Annual Robert B. Beardsley Piano Prize, kicking off the 2023 Ruthmere Fall Concert Series.


    Ticket pricing for the 2022 Fall Concert Series is as follows: Single concert non-members $50 per seat. Single concert Ruthmere Members $20 per seat. Fall Season Pass for all four concerts is $125 per seat (now available to non-members).  Note: Non-member Fall Concert ticket price includes a 10-day trial membership. Ruthmere Fall Concerts are considered private party events. For more information, or to make reservations call Ruthmere at 574-264-0330 ext. 104. All concerts begin at 7pm and seating is limited on a first come, first seated basis.  Doors open at 6:30pm.  

    • 17 Oct 2023
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Ruthmere
    • 2
    Register

    Let your day slow down every Tuesday afternoon during September and October in Ruthmere's garden (unless inclement weather, it will be moved into the Game Room). Bring your own favorite tea cup, or borrow one of ours. Meet your friends, make new friends, or enjoy a quiet seat alone to read a book. Light tea foods will be served. Cost is $15 per person with very limited seating. 

    [Note that if the tea is moved indoors, the Ruthmere Game Room is NOT ADA Accessible. We apologize for any inconvenience.]

    Registration and pre-payment REQUIRED and registration is only accepted up through the Saturday before each tea.


    • 22 Oct 2023
    • 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
    • Ruthmere
    • 0
    Join waitlist


    Grab your Broomsticks!

    Back by popular demand is our Witches Brew Tea!


    Eye of Newt and toe of frog,

    Wool of bat and tongue of dog.

    Adder's fork and blind worm's sting,

    Lizard's leg and howlet's wing.


    Spooked yet? Climb on your favorite broom and fly over to Ruthmere for our fall Witches Brew Tea!

    Our Witches Brew Tea will feature a delicious assortment of teas, tea foods, and a scary good time! Costumes are strongly encouraged.

    Adults $30, Youth (Ages 4-18) $15, Members $25. Reservations are required with advance purchase. Ages 4 and up. Seating is limited and registration ends October 8th, so don't wait! 

    Please be sure to let us know if you register separately from other guests you would like to sit with, that way we can change our seating chart accordingly.


    • 24 Oct 2023
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Ruthmere
    • 0
    Registration is closed

    Let your day slow down every Tuesday afternoon during September and October in Ruthmere's garden (unless inclement weather, it will be moved into the Game Room). Bring your own favorite tea cup, or borrow one of ours. Meet your friends, make new friends, or enjoy a quiet seat alone to read a book. Light tea foods will be served. Cost is $15 per person with very limited seating. 

    [Note that if the tea is moved indoors, the Ruthmere Game Room is NOT ADA Accessible. We apologize for any inconvenience.]

    Registration and pre-payment REQUIRED and registration is only accepted up through the Saturday before each tea.


    • 26 Oct 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Ruthmere Game Room
    • 27
    Register

    Canadian violinist Jessica Tong has garnered international acclaim as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, having been described as an "outstanding talent" (Performing Arts in Canada) with "keen sensitivity and receptivity" (Bloomington Herald Times), who "allow[s] us to savour her sense of ardour and intensity, but never at the detriment of her tonal beauty" (ClassiqueInfo France). A recipient of a Canada Council Grant for Musicians and a DAAD scholar, she has been a top prizewinner at the Eckhardt-Gramatte, Toronto Symphony, Canadian Music, and Yellow Springs International Chamber Music Competitions, as well as the recipient of the David Ouchterlony Award for Outstanding Artist.

    Michael Sheppard is a native of Philadelphia and resides in Baltimore, where he works at both the Peabody Conservatory and the Baltimore School for the Arts, sharing his love and understanding of music and the artistic process with future generations. He has worked closely with fellow composers John Corigliano, Christopher Theofanidis, Michael Hersch, Robert Sirota and with the late Nicholas Maw, demonstrating a deep love of new music; his eclectic tastes also led him recently to musical-direct performances of Jason Robert Brown's Broadway show “The Last Five Years”.


    Ticket pricing for the 2022 Fall Concert Series is as follows: Single concert non-members $50 per seat. Single concert Ruthmere Members $20 per seat. Fall Season Pass for all four concerts is $125 per seat.  Note: Non-member Fall Concert ticket price includes a 10-day trial membership. Ruthmere Fall Concerts are considered private party events.

    For more information, or to make reservations call Ruthmere at 574-264-0330 ext. 104. All concerts begin at 7pm and seating is limited on a first come, first seated basis.  Doors open at 6:30pm.  

    • 03 Nov 2023
    • 11:00 AM
    • Ruthmere
    • 28
    Register

    Patrick McGuire, Curator of Education, Elkhart County Historical Museum, will present a Gallery Talk on, The Career of E. Hill Turnock on Friday, November 3rd, at 11 am. E. Hill Turnock left an indelible mark on our built environment. This presentation will give an overview of Turnock's career and highlight buildings he designed throughout Elkhart County.

    Gallery Talks feature a twenty-minute discussion on an object/artwork within the Ruthmere collection or a person or event in local history. Our Gallery Talks are free and open to the public. Sponsored by Beth Hall.


    • 09 Nov 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Ruthmere Game Room
    • 27
    Register


    Tumaini Sango has been playing piano for fifteen years. He has participated in numerous festivals and piano competitions in the West Michigan area. He is a seasoned accompanist, with experience accompanying a wide variety of instruments and choral students in MSVMA festivals. Over the years, Tumaini has had the opportunity to play numerous weddings, receptions, dinner parties, and banquets, including the Grand Valley State University President’s Ball. In 2018, Tumaini was the winner of the St. Cecilia Philharmonic Piano Concerto Competition and the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony Piano Concerto Competition. Additionally, Tumaini is active in the music ministry of his local church.

    Ticket pricing for the 2022 Fall Concert Series is as follows: Single concert non-members $50 per seat. Single concert Ruthmere Members $20 per seat. Fall Season Pass for all four concerts is $125 per seat .  Note: Non-member Fall Concert ticket price includes a 10-day trial membership. Ruthmere Fall Concerts are considered private party events.

    For more information, or to make reservations call Ruthmere at 574-264-0330 ext. 104. All concerts begin at 7pm and seating is limited on a first come, first seated basis.  Doors open at 6:30pm.  

    • 25 Nov 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Ruthmere Game Room
    • 25
    Register

    Sponsored by Terry Trimmer

    Rather than our usually Black Friday concert, we will be having Nicholas Roth and the Euclid Quartet playing together on Saturday, November 25 at 7pm.

    Nicholas Roth began formal studies at age twelve, receiving critical acclaim for his appearances by the age of eighteen. He appeared as soloist with the St. Louis Symphony and the Indianapolis Symphony under Raymond Leppard, among many others. Roth is a featured performer and teacher throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. He is a Yamaha Artist, a Beethoven Fellow of the American Pianists Association, earned prizes in the chamber music competitions of Tortona and Pietra Ligure, Italy, and received a DAAD grant to further his studies in Germany.  

    The Euclid Quartet enjoys one of the most highly regarded reputations of any chamber ensemble of its generation. Formed in Ohio in 1998, the Euclid Quartet takes its name from the famous Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, home to a wealth of renowned artistic and cultural institutions. Within three years, the ensemble was awarded the String Quartet Fellowship of the Aspen Music Festival, where it was invited to return for the subsequent summer’s concert season. The quartet was also invited to study with the Emerson String Quartet at the Carnegie Hall Professional Training Workshop.

    Ticket pricing for the 2022 Fall Concert Series is as follows: Single concert non-members $50 per seat. Single concert Ruthmere Members $20 per seat. Fall Season Pass for all four concerts  is $125 per seat.  Note: Non-member Fall Concert ticket price includes a 10-day trial membership. Ruthmere Fall Concerts are considered private party events.

    For more information, or to make reservations call Ruthmere at 574-264-0330 ext. 104. All concerts begin at 7pm and seating is limited on a first come, first seated basis.  Doors open at 6:30pm.  

    • 05 Dec 2023
    • 11:00 AM
    • Ruthmere
    • 30
    Register

    Lois Tomaszewski, Grants Coordinator, will present a Gallery Talk on, Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus: How Newspapers Affected Culture on Tuesday, December 5th at 11 am in Ruthmere's game room. 


    Gallery Talks feature a twenty-minute discussion on an object/artwork within the Ruthmere collection or a person or event in local history. Our Gallery Talks are free and open to the public. 


(574)-264-0330

(888)-287-7696


302 E. Beardsley Ave.

Elkhart, IN 46514

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