Terrapin, a Boulder-based national cannabis company, announced today that it has contributed $30,000 to preserving the city’s institutional music venues and history through the pandemic.
As the global coronavirus pandemic rages on, live music venues, including the Boulder Theater and Fox Theatre, have been hit hard economically. Venues were some of the first businesses to shutter their doors when the pandemic began, and it is likely that venues will be one of the last businesses to reopen due to social distancing requirements. Terrapin, which draws part of its corporate philosophy from that of the shared music experience, has long supported Colorado’s arts and music scene since its founding in 2009.
“As an ‘essential’ business allowed to stay open during the pandemic, we have a duty to step up for those in the community struggling due to unforeseen circumstances related to COVID,” said Chris Woods, owner and CEO of Terrapin. “The nexus between cannabis and the arts goes back as long as our history with cannabis and music. The Boulder and Fox theaters are institutions right in our backyard whose endless contributions to the live music scene have shaped our community for decades. It would be devastating to see these venues shutter permanently, so we are following through with our commitment to lift our community up during this uncertain time.”
For several years, Terrapin has maintained relationships with the Colorado Music Experience (CoME) and Z2 Entertainment. Z2 owns and operates both the Fox and Boulder theaters and CoME is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Colorado’s legendary music history. As venues throughout the community began to cease operations, Terrapin felt a duty to step up its support for these organizations. We first hired former Fox and Boulder venue employees to assist us with additional security needs throughout Terrapin’s Colorado operations. Terrapin’s recent $30,000 commitment is the second step the company is taking to support the local concert and venues scene.
“Terrapin’s leadership and staff have always, and even more so during the pandemic, worked to support and lift up the live music ecosystem through their generous contributions to our business and our team,” said Z2 CEO Cheryl Liguori.
Prior to the pandemic, Terrapin had booths and sponsored many events at the Boulder and Fox theaters. Over the years, the Terrapin and Z2 teams built a bond and worked to support each other’s endeavors. In May, when it became clear that COVID-19 would be affecting the Colorado music community for the foreseeable future, Terrapin brought on a dozen former Fox and Boulder theater employees who had been laid off.
One former Z2 employee, Hannah Slape, said of the experience, “When we first heard that Terrapin and Z2 were working together to keep our guys employed, it was just awesome news. They’re really trying to help us out, and it’s a win-win because of the close relationship between Terrapin and Z2. Working for Terrapin has really been a lifeline for me.”
The Colorado Music Experience, founded by one of Colorado’s most well-known music journalists, G. Brown, is a nonprofit organization established to preserve and curate one-of-a-kind Colorado music memories and experiences. As the recipient of Terrapin’s $30,000 contribution, CoME distributed $25,000 to Z2 for relief for the Fox and Boulder theaters. The additional $5,000 serves as funding for CoME’s work preserving Colorado’s unique music history.
“Now and forever, the power of live music lifts the human spirit,” Brown said. “Iconic venues such as the Fox Theatre and Boulder Theater have been fixtures in our musical community’s ecosystem, but they have been uniquely affected in the pandemic—they were among the first businesses to close, they’re still dormant, and they will surely be the last to reopen. Colorado Music Experience applauds Terrapin for its donations to the venues and crews who find this to be a daunting time. Terrapin’s help and generosity provides a vital lifeline, supporting and fortifying their industry.”
Photo by Julio Enriquez 
Photo by Julio Enriquez
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