Happy Dog Takes On Independent Venues

For many small to medium-sized arts venues, the last few years were some of the toughest to navigate. The COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain struggles, and the contracting of the global economy all played a part. Many venues struggled to stay open or were forced to close down permanently, and ultimately support from COVID era stimulus packages saved the industry from mass collapse. Independent venues play important roles as third spaces for social engagement, but they also generate jobs and contribute greatly to economic activity.\r\n\r\nFormed during the pandemic, the National Independent Venue Association recently hosted its first conference in Cleveland in 2022; and the Cleveland chapter just recently announced the Cleveland Music Census--an effort to gather measurable data on the economic impact of independent venues.