MADISON, Wis. – They were some of the first to close and will likely be some of the last to reopen – entertainment venues were turned upside down by the pandemic.
Communication’s second anniversary passed over the summer without the art shop and music venue being open to host a celebration.
“Who are the people that the community calls on, the world calls on when they’re struggling?” asked Jennifer Bastian, director and arts manager at Communication. “Artists, musicians, writers.”
The reason many are suffering is the very thing keeping art and music venues locked and empty.
“It’s totally exhausting,” Bastian said. “It’s been very challenging. We haven’t been open at all. We keep thinking about reopening our shop, and then something happens like cases spike or the mask mandate. We always want the safety of the community and artists in our space to be the top priority. Trying to keep that the top priority and make sure we can still pay our rent is a big…
