10-year agreement supports programming at Payne & Mencias Palladium
Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts has reached a 10-year philanthropic agreement with two local families that will rename its flagship concert hall and support its arts and educational mission.
Effective July 1, the 1,500-seat limestone landmark on City Center Drive will be known as the Payne & Mencias Palladium.
Carmel residents Eric and Leah Payne and Ron and Suzanne Mencias are longtime supporters of Allied Solutions Center who co-chaired its annual Center Celebration gala in 2021. They said the gift agreement shows their appreciation for the opportunities the Center has provided for their families and the broader community.
Opened in 2011, the Palladium is the largest of the campus’s three venues and the primary home of the annual Center Presents concert season, as well as performances by the Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Indiana Wind Symphony, and other arts groups. The building also hosts educational programs, public meetings, political debates, school commencements, weddings, business conventions, and U.S. naturalization ceremonies.
Jeffrey C. McDermott, President and CEO of Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts, announces a major Palladium naming gift Thursday on the stage of the elegant concert hall in Carmel. (From left) Leah Payne, Eric Payne, Suzanne Mencias, Ron Mencias, and Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam. (Photo by Bill Crawford / Harbor Pictures)
President and CEO Jeffrey C. McDermott said the families’ generosity will strengthen the Center’s financial position, provide more flexibility in booking national and international artists, and support the continued expansion of educational programs while making them more affordable and accessible to underserved groups.
“Eric, Leah, Ron and Suzanne have been passionate supporters of our mission, financially and otherwise, since before the Palladium even opened,” McDermott said. “We look for partners who share our values and our commitment to enhancing quality of life in central Indiana, and these folks meet that description perfectly.”
Leah Payne said the Palladium has provided entertainment for multiple generations of her family as well as arts enrichment experiences for her four children.
“It’s just part of the landscape of our family,” she said. “We are honored to continue our relationship with the Center and see art and culture thrive in central Indiana, so that other families, residents and visitors can continue to enjoy these same opportunities.”
Likewise, Suzanne Mencias said her two daughters have enjoyed theater opportunities on campus, and the entire family has appreciated seeing international artists perform without having to leave Carmel.
“The arts can play such an important role in people’s lives, and particularly in the personal development of young people,” she said. “We’re so fortunate to have these facilities in our community, and that presence is worthy of everyone’s support.”
Ron Mencias serves on the Center’s Board of Directors. Eric Payne was a founding member and former chair of the board, serving for 10 years, and also served on the board of the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation. The two are wealth management advisors and managing directors of the Payne & Mencias Group at Merrill Lynch.
The new agreement was announced Thursday at an event in the concert hall. Financial details were not disclosed.
Photo by Bill Crawford / Harbor Pictures
About Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts
The mission of Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts, celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026, is to engage and inspire the Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. The nonprofit organization’s campus in Carmel includes the 1,500-seat Palladium concert hall, the 500-seat Tarkington proscenium theater and the black-box Studio Theater. Allied Solutions Center presents and hosts hundreds of events each year, including the Center Presents performance series, featuring the best in classical music, jazz, pop, rock, country, comedy and other genres. Educational and experiential programming for all ages includes children’s concerts and camps, book clubs, lectures and music classes. The Center is home to the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation and provides space and support services for six resident arts companies. More information is available at TheCenterPresents.org.
Be the first to comment on "Carmel’s landmark concert hall gets new name thanks to big gift"