In a beautiful ceremony at the Palmer House, Lawyers for the Creative Arts (LCA) honored Katie and Tim Tuten with a distinguished service to the arts award for their advocacy on behalf of small independent music venues.

Tim and Katie Tuten (pictured above with Jan Feldman, Executive Director, LCA) are the owners of The Hideout, a beloved bar and live music venue. The Hideout has a storied history of bringing people together, serving as a launching pad for bands, and providing respite to industrial workers in the neighborhood.

Chicago is fortunate to have a thriving arts and culture scene along the North Branch because of the support small businesses like the Hideout and Delmark Records provide to emerging artists. Some of Chicago's comedians, writers, and musicians have gone on to star in Saturday Night Live and play in large music festivals like Lollapalooza.

Along with running the Hideout, Tim and Katie have worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life in Chicago. They organized the Chicago Independent Venues League (CVIL) to advocate for small venues and ensure they are recognized for their many contributions to Chicago’s vibrant music scene.

Tim and Katie Tuten

Currently, CIVL represents over forty independent music venues in Chicago. To learn more about the Hideout and CIVL, please listen to this interview with WGN Radio's John Williams and Tim Tuten.

During the pandemic, Katie had a prominent role the #SaveOurStages campaign that pushed the federal government to provide financial assistance to small venues that were closed.

In partnership with Congressman Mike Quigley, this campaign scored a major victory in the American Rescue Plan Act, which created a federal grant opportunity for closed venues, the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant.

In addition, Tim and Katie volunteer with and support many local nonprofit organizations including Lawyers for the Creative Arts, Bandwith, and North Branch Works.

It was an honor for our staff to attend the Lawyers for Creative Arts award ceremony in support of Tim and Katie Tuten and The Hideout.

North Branch Works would like to congratulate Tim and Katie Tuten on their well-deserved recognition from Lawyers for the Creative Arts and thank them for their service on our Board of Directors.

Image credits: Lawyers for the Creative Arts