Category Archives: News

Levitt Pavilion Dayton Set to Open in 2018

robin_feld_dayton-ohio-skyline-from-north-evening

Image by Robin Feld

Dayton, Ohio is a city of innovators, inventors and dreamers. As home to numerous patents and inventions, the spirit of innovation permeates its entire culture. This is evident throughout the city, including in the ongoing reimagining of its downtown. Levitt Pavilion Dayton, located in Dave Hall Plaza—an underutilized public space sitting at the southern gateway to the city’s downtown—is set to play a major role in the revitalization of Dayton’s core and make it a welcoming destination for all. Continue reading

Using Levitt music venues as case studies, research examines value of different impact measurement approaches and offers insights into arts-based strategies to promote social connectivity

As interest in measuring and understanding the impact of arts investments in community development continues to grow, a new study released in November, Setting the Stage for Community Change: Reflecting on Creative Placemaking Outcomes, offers insights for the field of “creative placemaking” and is a working illustration of what can and can’t be learned from different impact measurement approaches.  Continue reading

“Levitt at the Falls” set to open in 2019

logo650The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation is thrilled to announce that Sioux Falls, South Dakota will be home to a new permanent Levitt venue, presenting 50 free concerts every year featuring a diverse range of emerging and acclaimed talent. Set to open in 2019, Levitt Shell Sioux Falls will be located within the city’s beautiful and historic namesake, Falls Park, and will be known locally as “Levitt at the Falls.” This new venue will be part of the national network of permanent outdoor Levitt music venues with locations in Arlington, Texas; Bethlehem, Pa.; Denver, Colo. (opening in 2017); Houston (opening in 2018); Los Angeles; Memphis; Pasadena, Calif.; and Westport, Conn.

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Change embodies creative placemaking focus for Foundation

Last month, we announced some exciting news—the work of our national nonprofit, Levitt Pavilions, will be carried out by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation going forward, furthering our mission to strengthen communities across the country through free, live music.

Since 2005, the Levitt Foundation has awarded more than $20 million to its nonprofit partners and grantees to support free concerts in communities large and small. As Liz Levitt Hirsch, president of the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, explained, “This exciting change signals our resolve to direct the majority of the Foundation’s philanthropy towards creative placemaking programs that focus on free concerts in public spaces. With funding now geared to one main cause, it made sense to place the operations of our national organization under one roof and to function as the Levitt Foundation, thus sunsetting Levitt Pavilions.” Continue reading

Last night, famed Italian composer Ennio Morricone took home the Oscar for “Best Original Score” for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eightmaking him the oldest Oscar recipient. Upon his win, the entire audience rose to their feet, honoring the 87-year-old maestro extraordinaire with a standing ovation. After 60+ years in the business, five previous Oscar nominations and a 2007 Honorary Oscar Award for his contributions to the field, fans around the globe are celebrating this welcomed acknowledgment of his accomplishments.

Enjoy this selection of tracks from Morricone’s Oscar-winning score of The Hateful Eight. And if you missed his acceptance speech, check out the clip below: Continue reading

In December, we were thrilled to learn that 21 artists who have performed on Levitt stages across the country received nominations for the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Last night, four of those nominees took home gilded gramophones! A hearty congratulations to the following 2016 GRAMMY winners: Continue reading

2016Winners_Email_smallerToday, the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation awarded $375,000 in matching grants to 15 nonprofits serving small to mid-sized towns and cities across America to produce free outdoor concerts, as part of the second annual Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards. Reflecting the Levitt Foundation’s commitment to creative placemaking projects generating community support, once again the Foundation opened the AMP selection process to the public to choose the Top 25 Finalists. Continue reading

What a difference a year can make! During the past year we’ve watched 10 Levitt AMP sites come to life—transforming underused public spaces into vibrant, music-filled community hubs. With the inaugural Levitt AMP Music Series coming to a close this week, we’re celebrating some of the many ways this free, community-driven outdoor music series has impacted the 2015 Levitt AMP grantees’ hometowns.

Public voting now open!Although the first Levitt AMP chapter is about to conclude, the next is already underway! The application period for the 2016 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards has just ended and the applicant pool has nearly doubled from 2015.

Which brings us to some fantastic news! Recognizing our nation’s growing need to come together as communities, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve expanded Levitt AMP to 15 grants to be awarded across the country in 2016! That’s right, 15!

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A happy family of Levitteers picnics on the lawnThank you for being a Levitteer during the most exciting Levitt season yet! Over half a million people are coming together in 16 cities for 400+ free concerts and building stronger, healthier communities in the process.

Want to help even more people experience the power of free, live music? Support America’s largest free outdoor concert series today with a tax-deductible donation at http://levitt.org/donate!

MuralWe 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