Levitt Foundation

Location: Nationwide

Website: levitt.org

The Levitt program is transformative. Abandoned, blighted places—whether a neglected and gang-infested park, a dormant downtown, a vacant lot or a toxic brownfield—are today vibrant, welcoming destinations where families, friends and people of all ages and backgrounds gather to discover new worlds, and each other, through free, live music.

Levitt’s free concerts, easily accessible locations and open lawn settings foster social interactions among people of all ages and backgrounds—strengthening the social fabric of our cities. There’s no front row, no back row, just a grassy open lawn filled with friends dancing, children playing and neighbors picnicking. Levitt venues are places where people relax and enjoy the company of others. Where we embrace our shared humanity.

At Levitt, we believe the arts aren’t a luxury, but a basic human need, just as essential as food and shelter. Studies show that frequent engagement with the arts has remarkably positive effects on our individual well-being, as well as society as a whole. However, the average American’s ability to access the arts is dwindling. High premiums are placed on cultural activities like going to a museum or experiencing a live concert.

Levitt concerts feature first-rate, critically acclaimed artists free of charge. This enables people from all walks of life—many of whom could not afford the cost of a concert for themselves or their families—to have those meaningful cultural experiences essential to a healthy, happy life. Both permanent Levitt venues and the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards are community-driven, inspiring engaged citizens and civic leadership to come together and commit to creating a meaningful impact in their city. Once a Levitt location opens, people from throughout the community are invested in the success of the concert series—from concertgoers and volunteers to community partners and local sponsors. At the helm is a local nonprofit, either Friends of Levitt for signature Levitt venues or the local organization presenting Levitt AMP, mobilizing support for the concert series and driving community engagement.

Why We Matter:

Through both permanent Levitt venues and the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards, Levitt harnesses the power of free, live music to strengthen American community life one city, and one concert, at a time. The impact of the Levitt program goes beyond the free concerts. Levitt demonstrates the power of creative placemaking—the integration of arts and culture into communities to spark economic growth, strengthen social bonds and enhance overall quality of life. Below are just some of the ways the Levitt program impacts communities:

Green spaces are reclaimed.

Neglected public spaces are activated.

Local economies are given a boost.

Communities are safer.

Social and economic barriers are broken.

Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans

Location: New Orleans, LA

Website: www.maccno.com

The Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans emerged from the meetings initially called for by Kermit Ruffins beginning in late September 2012 in response to the controversial increase in enforcement imposed on live music venues, and now serves as a platform from which all members of the cultural community may have a voice in decisions that directly affect them and the cultural economy of this city.

Our group is a diverse set of individuals, which include, in addition to musicians: street performers, venue owners and their staff, artists, lawyers and other advocates, craft-makers, traditional culture bearers, 2nd-line vendors, small-business owners, urban planners, and concerned citizens.

MACCNO facilitates discussions on issues concerning the New Orleans’ cultural economy and is dedicated to ensuring that all members of the cultural community have equal access to opportunity and a voice in the decision making process.

New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation

Location: New Orleans, LA

Website: www.nomaf.org

The New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation (NOMAF) evolved from the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to expand its mission and promise to keep New Orleans music alive by sustaining New Orleans’ traditional music cultures through our Gig Fund and our Emergency Fund.

Since 1998, the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic (NOMC) has been dedicated to keeping New Orleans’ performers alive in body, mind, and spirit by providing comprehensive health care and mental health/social services. As the “medical home” for more than 2,000 local musicians and tradition bearers, the NOMC’s Culture of Caring Model provides cost-efficient access to high quality healthcare and wellness programs for our patients, regardless of their ability to pay.