Denison Music on Main wins 2017 Levitt AMP Grant

Denison Music on Main wins 2017 Levitt AMP GrantThe Levitt Foundation recently announced Denison Music on Main as one of 15 winners for the 2017 grant program.  Each of these communities will receive $25,000 in matching grants to present their own Levitt AMP Music Series which consist of 10 free outdoor concerts featuring high caliber entertainment in a broad range of music genres.

The Levitt AMP Grant Awards were created in 2014 by the Levitt Foundation, a pioneer in the creative placemaking movement.  Levitt AMP brings the joy of free, live music to people of all ages and backgrounds living in small to mid-sized towns and cities, transforming underused public spaces into thriving community destinations

For the past two years, the Levitt AMP Denison Music Series, presented by Denison Main Street Inc., has seen increasingly larger audiences, more downtown foot traffic and amplified community pride. This year the series aims to build on this, reinforcing the relevance of the city’s core in the midst of investment in its outskirts.

The Levitt Foundation strives to strengthen the social fabric of our country by bringing people together in outdoor spaces, with live music that invigorates community life. That is exactly what Music on Main is doing for Denison. Music on Main lets people of diverse backgrounds come together, interact, & engage in activities. Held each week during the summer at the center of downtown, Music on Main is accessible and open to all which encourages community participation

The Denison Music on Main Concerts are held at Heritage Park located in the center of downtown Denison. Heritage Park is an open, grassy space on the corner of a busy intersection. The park has been developed in phases over the last few years as it replaced buildings that were lost to fire.

Denison is one of the original Texas Arts & Culture Districts, and the entertainment aspect of the district is taken seriously. Growing the Music on Main concert series into a bigger event helps promote the businesses in the Central Business District. The city is experiencing significant growth on the outskirts, and the outdoor concerts will play an important role in keeping downtown relevant with outstanding free live music. The Levitt partnership has given Denison attention on a national stage and this helps bring in patrons and sponsorships for a regional audience.

Denison’s growth makes it even more important for downtown to remain the heart of the community.  The 2017 Levitt AMP Grant will allow Music on Main to host artists of excellent quality and maintain community participation that will help solidify Denison’s reputation as “Event Central” and will mean a great deal to the economic and cultural centers in Denison.