Upon its completion, Portraits of Hope’s vibrant installation, “Spheres at MacArthur Park” will be the largest public art exhibition Los Angeles has ever seen. It’s such a treat to see this explosion of color come to life right here in our own backyard in MacArthur Park, the home of Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles. Continue reading
We were thrilled to see local artist Eric Clausen’s community mural recently come to life at Levitt Shell Memphis—a project that literally weathered the storm. This mural contributes to the rich public art legacy of the almost 80-year old band shell, which was created through a collaboration between the City of Memphis and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1936. Continue reading
Mimi Levitt and Liz Levitt Hirsch at the reopening of Levitt Westport, 2014
In many parts of the country, the name “Levitt” has become synonymous with “free outdoor concerts,” “revitalized spaces” and “citywide destinations” open to all. And for good reason—in 2015, more than 400 Levitt concerts will be presented in 16 cities, bringing the joy of free, live music to hundreds of thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds across America, ensuring access to the arts and strengthening communities in the process. America’s largest free outdoor concert series is made possible, in part, by the generous philanthropy and forward-thinking vision of the Levitt family—the late Mortimer Levitt (1907-2005), whose humble beginnings inspired his lifelong love affair with free music under the stars, his wife Annemarie “Mimi” Levitt, and daughter Liz Levitt Hirsch. Since Mortimer’s passing in 2005, Mimi and Liz have taken the reins of their private family foundation, the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, and have led it with aplomb, honoring Mortimer’s legacy while directing more than $18 million in grants to support the core Levitt program of outdoor music venues presenting free concert series, along with other meaningful projects that invigorate communities through the arts. Continue reading
With the first Levitt AMP Music Series launching soon, we’re thrilled to announce our new Levitt AMP website, your destination for all things Levitt AMP—from concert schedules to artist biographies to information about the unique places where each concert series will take place.
Which brings us to the topic of today’s post: place. Some people are born to a place. Others create it. The winners of the 2015 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards fall into this second category. They are creators and activators, transforming underused sites—like a neglected horse farm in Lafayette, La., and abandoned railroad tracks in Cleveland, Miss.—into lively, music-filled community hubs as part of the inaugural Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series. Continue reading
You’ve probably heard the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) sometime in your life—on the radio, at the grocery store, in the background of a TV show. But have you heard it in the subways?
Tomorrow is Bach in the Subways Day (BITSD), a celebration of Bach on the 330th anniversary of his birth. Musicians everywhere will be filling not just subways but all kinds of public spaces, including several near Levitt venues, with free, live performances of his music, increasing classical music’s accessibility to the public. Continue reading
What do creativity, collaboration and improved academic performance all have in common?
They’re all benefits enjoyed by children who study music. Continue reading
All too often, high caliber art comes with a high price tag.
In this Faces of Levitt video, Ann Ward challenges us to take a hard look at arts access: “Just think, a family of four, a regular concert’s price of a ticket usually is $50 or $60. Who can afford that?”
Here at Levitt we believe that arts access isn’t a luxury, but a basic human need and a vital component of healthy communities. Studies continue to reveal the positive effects of the arts on our individual wellbeing and the cities in which we live. Shouldn’t everyone get to experience those positive effects? Continue reading
When was the last time you had a conversation with a stranger?
If you’re like most of us, you probably had to think for a bit to come up with an answer. When you live in a big city like Houston or Los Angeles, it can be hard to start conversations with people you don’t already know, even when they’re officemates or people out walking their dogs on the street that you see every day.
That’s where The League of Creative Interventionists comes in. Continue reading
Levitt Arlington drum circle participants came out in huge numbers before Playing For Change’s show!
The first Levitt National Tour is underway. And while you may be coming out to see the phenomenal live performance by the World music group Playing For Change, if you get to the show early, you’ll notice something truly unique happening on the Levitt lawn: a community drum circle.
“A drum circle is an in-the-moment music event open to everyone, no experience needed,” says John Fitzgerald, a drum circle facilitator and Manager of Recreational Music Activities for Remo Incorporated. “The whole idea is that music is the vehicle to connect people, and a drum circle is about bringing people together.” Continue reading
London’s Southbank Centre
In November we wrote about the whitewashing of 5 Pointz in Queens, a graffiti mecca that will soon become a residential high rise with retail space. Over the past few months, a similar controversy has been brewing between London’s Southbank Centre and the skateboarders who have been a fixture of the building’s undercroft (considered architectural dead space) for over 40 years.
