Mondavi Center at 20

In 2002 donors helped UC Davis “take its place as one of the nation’s leading performing arts destinations,” a news story said that spring, by funding almost half of the $60.9 million project cost to build a state-of-the-art performance center on campus.

Major gifts included a $10 million naming gift from Napa winemakers Robert and Margrit Mondavi, and $5 million from arts patron Barbara K. Jackson to name the 1,801-seat main hall. The Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts opened to great acclaim that October.

Today, patrons of the arts continue to give—more than $13.2 million since the Expect Greater campaign began in 2016—so the center can continue to bring the finest in music, dance, speakers and theater to UC Davis.

The Mondavi Center is celebrating two decades of world-class performances with a special 20th anniversary season, bringing both new artists and longtime fan favorites to Jackson Hall in 2022-23.