Author Archive
Hispanic and Latinx Artists Pioneering Change Through Music
The illustrious Puerto Rican singer, actress, and dancer Rita Moreno once said, “It is through art that we will prevail and we will endure. It lives on after us and defines us as people.” As an organization at the intersection of the arts and social impact, the Levitt Foundation deeply identifies with Moreno’s words—especially today,…
Levitt Foundation Supports Visioning Events at SummerStage 2024 in Staten Island
For close to four decades, City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage festival has provided the soundtrack for New Yorkers’ summer memories. Infusing more than 80 music and cultural events in Manhattan’s Central Park and a dozen other neighborhood spaces across the Big Apple, the celebration unfolds from May through October each year and is presented across all…
National Arts in Education Week: How Levitt Communities Promote Creative Learning All Year Long
President Barack Obama once remarked, “The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create.” At the Levitt Foundation, we could not agree more. A well-educated youth is conducive to our vision of an America filled with free live music in public spaces and equitable, healthy, and thriving communities. As PBS…
Levitt VIBE Oakland Community Spotlight
Earlier this summer, the feel-good vibes of Latin rap, Afrobeat, soul, and other electrifying genres began radiating through two parks in Northern California’s East Oakland, a predominately Black community located in the southeastern region of the City of Oakland, at the outset of the inaugural Levitt VIBE Oakland Music Series. Presented by local nonprofit Black…
Fueling the Movement for Free Concerts in Public Spaces Through Grantee Thought Leadership
Between hundreds of free concerts returning to Levitt communities, the start of the Levitt National Tour featuring GRAMMY-nominated act The War & Treaty, and the launch of brand-new programs like Levitt VIBE and Levitt BLOC, spring and early summer have been a joyously busy time for the Levitt network. And yet, building community through free,…
Introducing the Levitt VIBE and Levitt BLOC Music Series!
Posted OnJuly 25, 2024 byLast fall, the Levitt Foundation announced plans to spend down $150 million in assets by 2041—a commitment that has allowed us to expand our grantmaking by launching new programs, partnerships, field-building initiatives, and more. Levitt VIBE and Levitt BLOC are two of those programs, and we’re excited to see (and hear) them launch! Levitt VIBE…
Highlighting Transformed Public Spaces for Park & Recreation Month 2024
July in the United States is National Park and Recreation Month. Initially established by the National Recreation and Park Association in 1985 and gaining official recognition from the U.S. government by way of congressional resolution in 2009, National Park and Recreation Month raises public awareness of the power of parks and recreation to foster strong,…
5 LGBTQIA+ Artists Bringing Joy to Levitt Communities This Pride Month
At the Levitt Foundation, our belief that joy is a fundamental human right guides our work to empower communities through free, live music. It’s why each and every Levitt lawn from coast to coast is designed to be a welcoming destination for all of the community members it serves, regardless of one’s gender identity, sexual…
Make Music Day 2024 Unfolds On Levitt Stages Nationwide
Sunscreen on, stereo volume up! June 21 is the summer solstice and Make Music Day, an international celebration uniting thousands of cities across the globe to host live, free, and open-to-the-public music-making events for community members of all ages and backgrounds. Make Music Day is a longstanding tradition: since its launch in France in 1982…
Honoring Black Creativity, Celebrating Black Joy on Levitt Stages this June
Marking both Juneteenth and Black Music Month, June is an especially important time in Black American history and culture—and Levitt concert sites around the country are proud to honor and celebrate Black creativity and joy this summer. Regarded by many institutions as America’s second Independence Day, Juneteenth (officially Juneteenth National Independence Day) was first commemorated…