The Levitt Era

The Levitt Era. . The WPA-era bandshell in Overton Park was built in 1936 to be a glorious "pledge to the future of music in Memphis." For five decades, the Shell showcased the city's rich musical sounds, yet by the late 20th century, the iconic landmark became dilapidated and was nearly demolished due to disinvestment and neglect. , As a foundation committed to building community through music - bringing people together of all walks of life through free concert series - the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation, led by Liz Levitt Hirsch, partnered with community and city leaders in 2005 to bring the Shell back to life, launching the most notable moment of renaissance in the Shell's history: The Levitt Era., The Levitt Foundation provided catalytic seed funding for a transformative, state-of-the-art renovation and continued with significant annual support throughout the partnership to bring consistent, free programming to the Shell., During its time with the national Levitt network, the Levitt Shell presented more than $50 free concerts to over 1 million Memphians in an inclusive and joyous setting, celebrating our shared humanity through music. As music is the soul of Memphis and lies at the heart of Levitt's mission, the Levitt Era set the stage for a bright future of free music under the stars at the Shell.