The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts in Westport officially announced the lead gift from Mimi Levitt and the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation in the amount of $4.5 million – the largest single gift in the foundation's history – which served to anchor the ongoing Campaign in Support of the New Levitt Pavilion.
The $4.5 million represents a $2.5 million capital gift plus a dynamically structured loan that converts to a $2 million gift over a period of 20 years. These generous funds made it possible for the Levitt Pavilion to proceed with groundbreaking, in addition to the contributions from the Town, the State and other private donors.
The Campaign in Support of the New Levitt Pavilion will announce and launch its public fundraising phase, "Because Summer Lives Here", at the Grand Opening on July 20th, which will star Jose Feliciano in a free concert in keeping with the Levitt Pavilion's core mission.
To date, the Levitt Pavilion has invested close to $9 million in the total transformation of their outdoor facility – from the development and design phase through to construction completion. The final phase of The Campaign in Support of the New Levitt Pavilion: "Because Summer Lives Here" will fundraise to replenish the portion of the Levitt Pavilion's endowment that was invested in the project as well as help underwrite a portion of the next five years of operations in the new and transformed facility.
Longtime summer residents of Westport, Mimi and Mortimer Levitt were avid supporters of the town's arts organizations. They were major benefactors when the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts was established in 1973, and Mimi continues to serve on the Levitt Pavilion board to this day.
Mimi Levitt shared fond memories of the Levitt Pavilion's "first" opening in 1974: "I remember opening night forty years ago. The whole town showed up. And on that night it was announced that it was going to be named the Levitt Pavilion. We were just overwhelmed, as we had no idea that this was going to happen. And it all started because the recreation director [Lou Nistico, then Chairman of the Parks & Recreation Commission] was looking for something for teenagers to do on weekends."
Executive Director Freda Welsh: "This is a momentous occasion in every way. Mimi's dedication to the original Levitt Pavilion and the Town of Westport has resulted in an extraordinary home for the performing arts that will instantly be recognized as an iconic cultural destination. We are so very grateful."
"We're extremely proud of the Levitt Pavilion's 40 year history and its beloved reputation as a community treasure, open to all. The new facility is a beautiful reflection of its special place in our hearts, and we're thrilled that the Levitt Foundation's lead gift will help ensure the joy of free, live music to the people of Westport for decades to come." said Liz Levitt Hirsch, board president of the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation.
The all new Levitt Pavilion will set sail into the next 40 years of its future on the banks of the Saugatuck River Sunday, July 20th. While all free tickets issued in advance have been claimed, the opening also serves to launch the Inaugural Summer Season featuring seven weeks of world-class performing arts and entertainment presented to the public free-of-charge.
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More about Mimi Levitt
Born in Vienna, Mimi Levitt grew up in a family that adored the arts. She and her mother immigrated to the United States at the outbreak of World War II, and Mimi graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College. A linguist, she was one of the translators at the Nuremberg trials. In 1947, she accepted a position as senior assistant to Alfred H. Barr Jr., the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Shortly thereafter, she met her husband, Mortimer; they were married 57 years and had two children, Elizabeth (Liz) and Peter.
Mimi is an active and loyal benefactor of the Bard Music Festival and has served on the board of directors for [11] years. She has also served on the boards of the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, and the NY Landmark Conservancy. She was a member of the Mayor's Commission on Drug Addiction, and a trustee of the Town School in Manhattan and the Branch Libraries of the NY Public Library.
Following Mortimer's death, Mimi served as president of the Levitt Foundation for over a decade and led its support of music, dance, and the arts, as well as educational institutions. The foundation's major recipients are the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, Bard College, Mercy College, Museum of Television and Radio, NY City Opera, Joyce Theatre, New Victory Theater, Lincoln Center's Film Society, Music Center of Los Angeles, NY Landmarks Conservancy, School of American Ballet, American Red Cross, and Young Concert Artists. In recent years, the foundation has shifted its focus to venture philanthropy, providing seed capital and ongoing support for five new Levitt pavilions in the U.S. with more venues on the way, based on the original Levitt Pavilion in Westport.
As if that were not enough, Mimi is an accomplished skier and a two-time golf champion!
More about the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation
The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation is a private family foundation, founded in 1963 by Mortimer and Mimi Levitt to support the arts, culture and education. Since 2012, Liz Levitt Hirsch has been its president and is overseeing a period of significant growth. Today, the main focus of the Foundation is its venture philanthropy program, partnering with cities through the development and support of Levitt pavilions across America that are based on the model established and developed by the original Levitt Pavilion and the Town of Westport.
More about the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts
The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts in Westport produces what is now one of the largest and longest-running free outdoor festivals in the nation, each summer presenting its signature "50 Free Nights of Music, Arts & Entertainment under the Stars".
Established by the Westport community in 1973, the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts remains an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that exists to:
• Provide free and abundant access to the performing arts;
• Present a diverse and dynamic spectrum of artists from around the county, the country and the globe – all of whom are compensated; and
• Preserve and cultivate an outdoor community destination where people of all ages and backgrounds are always welcome and encouraged get to know the arts, nature -- and each other.
The Levitt Pavilion is an outstanding and thriving example of public-private partnership. Its model has been recognized and emulated nation-wide.
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Venue: 40 Jesup Road, Westport CT 06880
Concert Hotline: 203-221-2153
www.levittpavilion.com