Blog
Sharing Insights & Nurturing Connections at Folk Alliance International 2024
When we’re not supporting diverse communities across America to present free, high-caliber outdoor concerts in transformed public spaces, we’re harnessing the power of music in other exciting ways—including supporting festivals, conferences, and field-building events that help expand access and nurture a vibrant, equitable arts and music ecosystem. One great example is our decade-long-plus partnership with…
The Eras Tour, Renaissance & the Power of Live Music at the Box Office
In 2023, concert lovers won. In a refreshing change of pace, free outdoor music performances in public places, like the more than 650 shows presented in towns and cities across the country throughout the Levitt network, weren’t the only spaces for live music lovers of varied socioeconomic backgrounds to foster connections while experiencing the arts….
Highlights From the 2024 Levitt National Convening
Representing diverse communities from regions across the country, more than 200 changemakers gathered in Downtown Los Angeles this past January for the 2024 Levitt National Convening—coming together for three days of shared learning, dynamic guest speakers, lively social events, and riveting performances that sparked conversations, inspired new ideas, and strengthened our shared commitment to building…
Four Levitt Artists We Love Who Are Making Black History in 2024
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Strength to Love & the Role of Philanthropy in Society
Each year the United States honors the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a federally designated National Day of Service, MLK Day encourages Americans to embrace “a day on, not a day off” by serving their communities while schools and businesses close in observance of the holiday. And, like clockwork,…
Levitt Staff Favorites 2023: 14 New Songs We Kept on Repeat
When it comes to music, the Levitt Foundation team has capital-T taste. This might not come as a surprise, given that our whole raison d’etre is building community through the power of free, live concerts. So it makes sense that if you were to swing by the Levitt offices any given weekday, you’d probably find…
Celebrate AMERI’KANA Music Festival Shines a Light on BIPOC Artists
At the Levitt Foundation, our approach to building more equitable, healthy, and thriving communities is multifaceted. Beyond our core grantmaking areas that include Levitt venues, the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards, and the recently launched pilot program Levitt VIBE, we support festivals, events, and field-building initiatives that expand access to the arts and nurture…
The Levitt Season in Photos: Looking Back on an Exciting 2023
Levitt concerts brought joy to more than 750,000 during the spring, summer, and fall of 2023, fostering human connections and creating pride of place within communities big and small, rural and urban—from the West Coast, Southwest, Midwest, and Appalachia to the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Deep South, and Alaska and Hawaii. This year the Levitt Foundation was…
The 2023 Levitt National Tour: A Recap
Since 2014, the Levitt National Tour has spotlighted extraordinary musical artists who reflect our country’s diverse cultural mosaic. A collaborative programming effort that celebrates the collective impact of Levitt music venues, the 2023 Tour featured GRAMMY-winning, Los Angeles-based band La Santa Cecilia as the headliner and was a joyous reflection of the Levitt network’s commitment…
In Conversation with Our Board President and CEO
In November 2023, Levitt Foundation Board President Liz Levitt Hirsch and Chief Executive Officer Sharon Yazowski sat down to chat about the Foundation’s 20-year spend down—what inspired the decision to sunset, how spending down aligns with Levitt’s mission and core values, and what this means for Levitt partners and grantees. For those who might not…