MT. STERLING ADVANCES TO PUBLIC VOTING PHASE FOR UP TO $120K MULTI-YEAR GRANT FOR A FREE, OUTDOOR MUSIC SERIES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 22, 2025—The Montgomery County Council for the Arts/Gateway Regional Arts Center (GRAC) is now in the running to bring a free outdoor music series to Mt. Sterling starting in 2026.
With funding from the Levitt Foundation—a national social impact funder at the intersection of music, public space, and community building that supports the largest free outdoor concert series in America—GRAC hopes to qualify as a finalist to receive a Levitt Music Series Grant. The public is urged to support GRAC’s proposal by participating in the public voting process, via online or text to vote, taking place from September 5–15, 2025, at levitt.org/vote.
About the Levitt Music Series Grants
Levitt Music Series Grants are an exciting, multi-year matching grant created by the Levitt Foundation to bring the joy of free outdoor concerts to towns and cities across the country.
For the 2026–2028 grant cycle, the Levitt Foundation will award U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits up to $120,000 over three years (up to $40,000 per year) to produce their own Levitt Music Series—7–10 free outdoor concerts annually featuring a diverse lineup of music genres with professional musicians, activating an underused public space, and creating a vibrant, inclusive community destination for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Mt. Sterling’s Proposal
GRAC submitted the proposal for Mt. Sterling to present the free music series in downtown Mt. Sterling. GRAC’s proposal is now posted on the Levitt Foundation website, where the public can vote and learn more about the proposals from across the country that have advanced to the voting phase.
An individual may submit one vote for up to five proposals of their choosing. There are two easy ways for the public to cast their vote:
Online at levitt.org/vote
Text to 877-409-5525 with keyword MTSTERLING
Community Voting & Selection Process
Reflecting the Levitt Foundation’s mission that all Levitt projects are community-driven, the public voting phase of the Levitt Music Series Grants selection process is an important way to measure community support. The number of online and text votes received for GRAC will be one of the key factors used when the Levitt Foundation determines the grant recipients this November.
Online public voting opens September 5, at 10:00 a.m. PT
Voting closes September 15, at 5:00 p.m. PT
The 50 finalists will be selected through the online and text-to-vote public voting phase. The Levitt Foundation will then review the top proposals to select the Levitt Music Series Grants recipients, which will be announced on November 18, 2025.
Call to Action
“At GRAC, our mission is simple: All the Arts for All the People,” said Jordan Campbell, Executive Director of the Gateway Regional Arts Center. “This Levitt grant would allow us to bring that vision to life through free, world-class concerts right here in Mt. Sterling—open to everyone, no barriers, just music and community. We need your voice and your vote to make it happen.”
The Gateway Regional Arts Center asks supporters to spread the word throughout the community to family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors, and rally the community to vote for Mt. Sterling’s proposal.
Learn more at levitt.org/vote.
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About the Gateway Regional Arts Center
Situated at the convergence of the Bluegrass and Appalachian regions in Kentucky, the Gateway Regional Arts Center (GRAC) stands as the flagship cultural institution for the area and as a regional artistic hub. Located in historic downtown Mount Sterling, GRAC provides a diverse array of creative and cultural programs catering to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. With more than 28,000 annual visitors and participants, our outreach extends across 22 counties in Eastern Kentucky, affirming our role as a significant regional resource.
About the Levitt Foundation
The Levitt Foundation is a private family foundation that exists to strengthen the social fabric of America. The Foundation supports changemakers and nonprofits across the country to activate underused public spaces through free outdoor concerts, creating welcoming, joyful, and inclusive destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together, fosters belonging and social connections, creates economic opportunity, and invigorates community life.
Levitt venues and concert sites attract people of all ages and backgrounds and reflect the character of their town or city, while benefitting from the framework and best practices of the Levitt program.
In 2025, Levitt Foundation grantees are presenting 650+ free concerts in more than 50 towns and cities across the country, with a total audience of nearly one million people. In addition to funding free concerts, the Levitt Foundation supports advancing vibrant music ecosystems through research and partnerships.
