37 nonprofit leaders from 18 small to mid-sized towns and cities gathered in Los Angeles two weeks ago. Here's to invigorating communities through free, live music!
Sharon Yazowski, Levitt Foundation Executive Director, kicks off the 2019 Levitt AMP Convening on January 28.
Grantees began the 2019 Levitt AMP Convening with an introductory activity. From left to right: John Taylor (Galva Arts Council, Galva, IL), Tom Campbell (Galva Arts Council, Galva, IL), Tom Gilmour (Trenton Downtown Association, Trenton, NJ) and Steve Ruth (Cowan Community Center, Whitesburg, KY).
Grantees began the 2019 Levitt AMP Convening with an introductory activity. From left to right: Mary McCubbins (Vision Soldotna, Soldotna, AK), Connie Terry (Earlham Chicks with Checks, Earlham, IA) and Sheila Walk (Springfield Area Arts Council, Springfield, WI).
Grantees began the 2019 Levitt AMP Convening with an introductory activity. From left to right: Samantha Maass (On Broadway, Inc., Green Bay, WI), Margaux Morisseau (NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, Woonsocket, RI), Jamie Haack (John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI) and Angela Ramey (John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI).
Patti Sanchez, Levitt Foundation Senior Director of Programs, presents on artist selection during Day One of the Levitt AMP Convening.
Patti Sanchez (Levitt Foundation Senior Director of Programs) moderates a panel on programming and booking talent with Cindy Cogbill (Director of Programming & Marketing, Levitt Shell Memphis) and Patrick Brogan (Chief Programming Officer & Manager of ArtsQuest Center).
Several grantees share their artists booking and programming experience from past years during a panel moderated by Patti Sanchez. Panelists from left to right: Steve Ruth (Cowan Community Center, Whitesburg, KY), Gina Lopez Hill (Brewery Arts Center, Carson City, NV), John Taylor (Galva Arts Council, Galva, IL) and Neal Copperman (AMP Concerts, Santa Fe, NM).
Grantees arrive at Le Petit Paris in downtown Los Angeles to close out Day One of the Levitt AMP Convening. From left to right: Michelle Truett (484 Design, Utica, NY), Shane Morrow (Jazzanooga, Chattanooga, TN) and Gia Marschesani (The HomeOwnership Center, Utica, NY).
Liz Levitt Hirsch (Levitt Foundation Board President) and Deborah Sorenson (AMP Concerts, Santa Fe, NM) at Le Petit Paris in downtown Los Angeles.
Grantees arrive at Le Petit Paris in downtown Los Angeles to close out Day One of the Levitt AMP Convening. From left to right: Mikey Wiencek (Brewery Arts Center, Carson City, NV), Erica Chambers (Berea Arts Council, Berea, KY) and Ali Blair (Berea Arts Council, Berea, KY).
Cindy Cogbill (Director of Programming & Marketing, Levitt Shell Memphis) and Liz Levitt Hirsch (Levitt Foundation Board President) at Le Petit Paris in downtown Los Angeles.
At night one of the Levitt AMP Convening. From left to right: Jamie Haack, Margaux Morisseau, Vanessa Silberman (Levitt Foundation Senior Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives), Sara Slagle (Earlham Chicks with Checks, Earlham, IA), Maggie Marquardt (CREATE Portage County, Stevens Point, WI), Brian Johnson (On Broadway, Inc., Green Bay, WI), Carmen Davis (Jazzanooga, Chattanooga, TN) and Tom Campbell.
Gina Lopez Hill (Brewery Arts Center, Carson City, NV) and Liz Levitt Hirsch (Levitt Foundation Board President) seated for dinner at Le Petit Paris in downtown Los Angeles.
Grantees participate in a group activity on Day Two of the Levitt AMP Convening.
Jon Grace (Bell County Tourism, Middlesboro, KY) during a group activity on Day Two of the Levitt AMP Convening.
Ali Blair (Berea Arts Council, Berea, KY) enjoying Day Two of the Levitt AMP Convening.
Vanessa Silberman, Levitt Foundation Senior Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives, presents on communications strategies during Day Two of the Levitt AMP Convening.
Several grantees share their community engagement and outreach experience from past years during a panel moderated by Sharon Yazowski. From left to right: Michelle Truett (484 Design, Utica, NY), Greg Wright (CREATE Portage County, Stevens Point, WI) and Jaye Baillie (Marion Cultural Alliance, Ocala, FL).
After the community engagement and outreach panel featuring grantee perspectives. From left to right: Michelle Truett (484 Design, Utica, NY), Greg Wright (CREATE Portage County, Stevens Point, WI), Jaye Baillie (Marion Cultural Alliance, Ocala, FL), Shane Morrow (Jazzanooga, Chattanooga, TN) and Sharon Yazowski (Levitt Foundation Executive Director).
Paul Villotti, Director of Life Safety at Henderson Engineers, presents on emergency preparedness in the event of on an on-site incident.
Grantees participate in a fishbowl activity on Day Two of the Levitt AMP Convening.
Jennifer Normoyle (City of Ocala, Ocala, FL) and Meghan Rego (NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, Woonsocket, RI) answer questions during the fishbowl activity.
Mikey Wiencek humorously explains his takeaways from this year's Levitt AMP Convening. From left to right: Meghan Rego (NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, Woonsocket, RI), Mikey Wiencek (Brewery Arts Center, Carson City, NV) and Lisa Clemmons Stott (Downtown Springfield Inc., Springfield, IL).
Tom Gilmour gives a heartfelt thanks to his fellow grantees. From left to right: Ali Blair (Berea Arts Council, Berea, KY), Erica Chambers (Berea Arts Council, Berea, KY), Tom Gilmour (Trenton Downtown Association, Trenton, NJ) and John Taylor (Galva Arts Council, Galva, IL).
Gia Marschesani gives her takeaways from this year's Levitt AMP Convening. From left to right: Jamie Haack (John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI), Gia Marschesani (The HomeOwnership Center, Utica, NY) and Carmen Davis (Jazzanooga, Chattanooga, TN).
Brian Johnson humorously explains his takeaways from this year's Levitt AMP Convening. From left to right: Margaux Morisseau (NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, Woonsocket, RI), Brian Johnson (On Broadway, Inc., Green Bay, WI) and Samantha Maass (On Broadway, Inc., Green Bay, WI).
Sharon Yazowski, Levitt Foundation Executive Director, wraps up Day Two of the Levitt AMP Convening with a thank you to all of the grantees.
Sharon Yazowski and grantees ready for dinner on night two of the Levitt AMP Convening at Industriel in downtown Los Angeles. From left to right: Sharon Yazowski, Steve Ruth, Valerie Horn (Cowan Community Center, Whitesburg, KY), Gia Marschesani, Michelle Truett and Meghan Rego.
At night two of the Levitt AMP Convening at Industriel in downtown Los Angeles. Looking at the camera from left to right: Meaghan Singletary (Trenton Downtown Association, Trenton, NJ), Margaux Morisseau, Maggie Marquardt and Angela Ramey.
At night two of the Levitt AMP Convening at Industriel in downtown Los Angeles. From left to right: Jody Fried (Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury, VT), Victoria Bridenstine (Levitt Foundation Programs Manager) and Molly Stone (Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury, VT).
At night two of the Levitt AMP Convening. Looking at the camera from left to right: Andrew Heuiser (Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, Soldotna, AK), Emily Ayers (Middlesboro Main Street, Middlesboro, KY), Jon Grace, Gina Lopez Hill, Lisa Clemmons Stott and Ana Cuellar Aguilar (Levitt Foundation Programs Associate).
At night two of the Levitt AMP Convening at Industriel in downtown Los Angeles. From left to right: Nicole McGaffey (Levitt Foundation Communications Manager), Jamie Haack (John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI) and Sara Slagle (Earlham Chicks with Checks, Earlham, IA).
At night two of the Levitt AMP Convening at Industriel in downtown Los Angeles. From left to right: Shane Morrow, Vanessa Silberman, Sheila Walk (Springfield Area Arts Council, Springfield, WI), Tom Campbell, Samantha Maass, Brian Johnson, Paul Villotti, Carmen Davis and Mikey Wiencek.
Patti Sanchez (Levitt Foundation Senior Director of Programs) and Deborah Sorenson (AMP Concerts, Santa Fe, NM) at Industriel in downtown Los Angeles.
At night two of the Levitt AMP Convening at Industriel in downtown Los Angeles. From left to right: Samantha Maass (On Broadway, Inc., Green Bay, WI), Brian Johnson (On Broadway, Inc., Green Bay, WI) and Paul Villotti (Director of Life Safety at Henderson Engineers).
Two weeks ago, the 2019 Levitt AMP grantees joined the Levitt Foundation for the annual Levitt AMP Convening in Los Angeles! It was an honor to host these inspiring nonprofit leaders and share ideas throughout two days of panels, presentations and group discussions.
With 18 small to mid-sized towns and cities from Alaska all the way to Florida, this year’s grantees truly represent the breadth of community spirit and placemaking efforts happening across the country. The endless enthusiasm in the room led to fruitful brainstorming, knowledge sharing and meaningful exchanges around the power of free, live music to ignite community change. We can’t wait to see how each Levitt AMP Music Series unfolds this summer and fall!
On this annual day of love, we’re celebrating love in its many forms! Looking around Levitt lawns, you see family members embracing, couples dancing, and friends and neighbors enjoying each other’s company. Perhaps that’s why so many Levitteers have opted to celebrate life’s milestone moments at Levitt concerts, surrounded by the joyous sounds of free, live music (and why this Gentlemen’s Guide to Proposing includes Levitt Pavilion Arlington on their list of suggested places to propose).
Whether you’re celebrating with friends, family, or that special someone, we hope you’re enjoying some ‘feel-good’ music and embracing the joy that today’s holiday brings. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Mark your calendars—a GRAMMY-winning mariachi experience will soon be coming to a Levitt stage near you! This summer, the all-female, critically acclaimed mariachi group Flor De Toloache will headline the 2019 Levitt National Tour. Levitt audiences across the country will enjoy the band’s energetic, mesmerizing shows that blend traditional mariachi with jazz, salsa and pop music.
Holiday decorations have been put away, New Year’s resolutions have been made and we’re already dreaming of warm spring days—bringing us one step closer to the 2019 Levitt concert season!
This year, more than 550 free Levitt concerts will take place in 26 towns and cities nationwide, serving more than 750,000 people. And planning is already underway! Across the country, Friends of Levitt nonprofit partners and Levitt AMP grantees are hard at work to make 2019 the most impactful season yet—energizing public spaces in metropolitan centers like Los Angeles, where Angelenos will gather in MacArthur Park to enjoy free outdoor concerts in one of the city’s densest, most diverse neighborhoods; to rural communities like St. Johnsbury, Vt., where residents and visitors alike will come together to experience the joy of free, live music atop the scenic Dog Mountain, in a formerly industrial area. Continue reading →
Annemarie “Mimi” Gratzinger Levitt, an iconic patron of the arts and historic preservation, died of natural causes on January 6, 2019 at her home in New York. She was 97. Known for her intelligence, grace and hands-on approach to philanthropy and activism, Mimi believed in the arts as a source for positive social change and left a lasting legacy of generosity and service to the causes she supported. Continue reading →
$25K matching grants will bring free outdoor concerts to 18 small- to mid-sized towns and cities across America
Today, the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation awarded $450,000 in matching grants to 18 nonprofits serving small- to mid-sized towns and cities across America to produce free outdoor concerts as part of the fifth annual Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards. Reflecting the Levitt Foundation’s commitment to creative placemaking projects generating community support, the Levitt Foundation once again opened the Levitt AMP selection process to the public to choose the top 25 finalists. Continue reading →
Relive the magic of the 2018 Levitt National Tour with our new recap video featuring concert highlights and exclusive artist interviews with southern rock hero, Paul Thorn, and living legends of gospel, Blind Boys of Alabama! Between June and August, these artists dazzled Levitt audiences in seven Levitt locations—including including Bethlehem, PA; Memphis; Arlington, TX; Los Angeles; Dayton, OH; Denver; and Sioux Falls, SD (where audiences received a taste of what’s to come when their Levitt Pavilion opens in 2019). Each Levitt tour stop was an incredible evening for the entire community!
And be sure to keep an eye out for our 2019 LNT announcement—we’ll be revealing the performer early next year! Learn more at levitt.org/national_tour
Earlier this morning, The Recording Academy announced the full list of nominees for the 2019 GRAMMY Awards—and we’re thrilled to share that 17 past performers at permanent Levitt venues and Levitt AMP sites have received nominations! Spanning Latin, pop, country, jazz, children’s music and more, the incredible talent of these performers has captured the attention of critics and audiences around the country. Included on the list is Levitt’s first-ever Record of The Year contender with the phenomenal Maren Morris, who’s also competing for five other awards!
Levitteers, this past summer and fall you filled our live #musicmoves feed with your favorite Levitt concert memories through some show-stopping photos, videos and captions! We’ve selected our favorites, which are featured in our new highlights video above.
Coast to coast, we loved seeing you come out and support your local communities through the power of free, live music. Whether you grooved to the beat, sang at the top of your lungs, or lounged under the summer night skies, we were captivated by your #musicmoves. Thank you for making 2018 another amazing year, and we can’t wait to see how #musicmoves you in 2019!
And once again, congrats to the four winners of the 2018 #musicmoves contest winners who won iTunes gift cards below! Below are their winning entries.
Round One 1st Place Winner – @thomasnwalshii
At the first @levittampwoonsocket free concert #musicmoves
Round One 2nd Place Winner – @thomasnwalshii
Summertime at the Levitt AMP Sheboygan! #musicmoves #levittamp
Round Two 1st Place Winner – @twestfield
“I Be Happy When I See My Friends, Part II!” Look who I ran into! I love these Movers and Shakers (as opposed to working to change the Arts & Music scenes) was inspiring! Seeing @bigfeedia LIVE was amazing!!! Thank you #LevittAMP #LevittAMPChattanooga + @Jazznooga for bringing the Queen Diva out so we could #NOLABounce in the #GigCity #ScenicCity #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #CHAMusic
Round Two 2nd Place Winner – @pattybarden
#musicmoves Another wonderful #levittamp music show at the #californiacenterforthearts in escondido. Down with the crowd here is brass band La Patronal (@lapatronal). The Opener was another bunch of sassy brasses, Euphoria. These Grape Day Park concerts are a great Escondido thing. The world needs MORE LIVE MUSIC of all kinds.
37 nonprofit leaders from 18 small to mid-sized towns and cities gathered in Los Angeles two weeks ago. Here's to invigorating communities through free, live music!
