Festival Organizers Launch Gallery, Workshop, Event Space

Nearing its one year anniversary, we’re looking back at the results of O+ Festival in Haverhill. O+ brought more than a weekend of entertainment and exchange to Haverhill last spring. Haverhill is speckled with the lasting effects of O+ Festival, existing in the people who live here, who see the possibilities and feel the resounding love in the exchange that took place. O+ sparked a fire in so many of us to connect and create the change we want to see in a city we are smitten with. I continue to be inspired by the people I’ve worked with over the years, nationally and locally, who stepped up and brought their heart and soul to seeing the success of this festival, like Sarah LoVasco, the powerhouse of an art coordinator who volunteered for a position because she was so committed to investing in the betterment of our city. I’m reminded of this warrior worker who was on scaffolding all hours of the day assisting in the mural on Merrimack Street, and so many volunteers, because they are my community. They became my family through this experience.

If you’re wondering why we’ve been quiet up here in Massachusetts, it’s because Sarah and I have been building The Switchboard, a community-driven gallery, workshop and event space. The gallery features a rotating wall of local artists, with the next exhibition highlighting the work of three women illustrators, one of which was a superstar O+ Haverhill volunteer last spring.

Since our inception this past winter, Sarah and I have this unspoken understanding of what we want to see at The Switchboard. From Acoustic Saturdays to the Creative Writing Summer Camp, all of our ideas have aligned, and the upcoming potluck series is no exception. We both love hosting and bringing the community together to share thoughts over an eclectic smorgasbord. As a kid in Kingston, I would accompany my mom to monthly potlucks hosted by artists, patios filled with creatives sharing ideas and supporting each other. These events remained with me after all these years, and I hope we can replicate that. We want The Switchboard to be a welcoming place to connect with others organically.

Full Lineup Revealed for May 5-6 O+ Haverhill

All-access wristbands are available now via donation for the inaugural O+ Haverhill (May 5-6). View the schedule and plan your weekend of art, music and wellness here.

What sets O+ Haverhill apart from other festivals? The artists and musicians who donate their talent to the weekend will receive complimentary health and wellness care in a pop-up clinic staffed by art-loving providers (integrative doctors, nurses, massage therapists, energy healers and more).

The May 5-6 lineup features 20 musical acts including notable Boston-area musicians Julie Rhodes, Troll 2 and Mad Yonder, Haverhill-based favorites Liz Bills and Friends and O+ Kingston (New York) alumni Karma Darwin. Music venues include the Chit Chat Lounge, Better Block location at the Goecke Parking Deck on Merrimack Street and “Acoustic Alley” at 90-100 Washington St.

Haverhill illustrator Brian Canty will be creating a mural inspired by the theme of “Home” at the Rent-A-Center building (150 Merrimack St.) while O+ Kingston alumnus Eugene Stetz will be doing live painting at the Better Block site.

The festival also includes an exhibition of the AIDS Memorial Quilt at Phoenix Rising UCC; cycling events leaving from the Better Block site; EXPLO+RE classes in yoga, gong sound healing, meditation and martial arts at Giving Tree Yoga and Wellness and Ocasio’s True Martial Arts; and an Artist Trading Card Make & Swap and Literary SALO+N (Common Sage Writing Group, Spoken Word, Local Literary Voices and Writers Coffeehouse New England) at Battle Grounds Coffee Co.

O+ Haverhill is part of the revolutionary O+ (pronounced O Positive) Festival, a nonprofit headquartered in Kingston, N.Y., that aims to empower communities to take control of their collective wellbeing through the exchange of the art of medicine for the medicine of art.

Make a donation for an all-access wristband and GO+!

Inaugural O+ Haverhill Features Cycling, Yoga and Wellness Classes, Literary SALO+N

O+ Haverhill audiences wearing all-access wristbands (available via donation) on Saturday, May 6th are invited to experience a variety of wellness classes and a Literary SALO+N in addition to extensive art and music offerings.

The day begins at the Better Block location, where Riverside Cycle will lead bike rides for avid cyclists and families of all experience levels.

Giving Tree Yoga and Wellness hosts EXPLO+RE, a mini wellness retreat within the larger O+ Festival celebration. The daylong offerings include Kundalini Yoga, Reiki Restore and a Gong Bath.

“All of our instructors have volunteered to offer specific yoga classes that are healing and restorative in nature,” says Suzanne Borgioli, owner of Giving Tree. “Our wishes are that everyone who walks through our doors will then walk away with an extraordinary experience and some valuable tools to encourage a lifestyle design for their family and for their own personal wellness.”

Meanwhile, Ocasio’s will be offering a martial arts class for anyone wearing an all-access O+ Haverhill wristband.

Beginning at 3 p.m. with an interactive artist trading card make and swap, the SALO+N at Battle Grounds highlights the thriving literary community of noted authors, aspiring writers and bibliophiles in Haverhill and neighboring cities.

The SALO+N continues with Lawrence-based The Common Sage writing group, which provides a space “for the expression of thoughts and sharing of stories.”

Then at 5 p.m. poet Susan LaFortune will host a Spoken Word open mic event during which participants are encouraged to share what inspires and connects them to the human spirit through rhyme or free-verse.

“I’m hoping the SALO+N will coax new voices to come out and be noticed,” LaFortune says.

Author James A. Moore brings Literary Voices, a chance to hear from several writers in the New England area, each with a different approach to writing, to the SALO+N at 6 p.m. Writers including Hillary Monahan, Matt Bechtal and Kristin Dearborn will read and answer questions about their stories and inspirations.

The Literary SALO+N concludes with Writer’s Coffeehouse New England. Moore and author Christopher Golden invite writers of all experience levels to participate in a conversation about the business and craft of writing.

LaFortune says the SALO+N perfectly aligns with the O+ mission of exchanging the art of medicine for the medicine of art.

“I’m involved with O+ because I believe in both, the power of medicine and the power of art,” she says. “Before I became a writer I was a therapeutic massage therapist. The festival encompasses everything we know about what the body needs to stay healthy and happy. The medical participants of O+Festival remind us that health is still human. Haverhill gains the opportunity to not only showcase some amazing talent, but also some amazing heart.”

Curatorial Team Reveals Potential Mural Sites

The O+ Haverhill art curatorial team is sharing downtown buildings that are potential mural sites for the inaugural festival in May. The theme of this year’s festival is: Home. Submissions are due Jan. 31.

The first is the Rent-A-Center building at 150 Merrimack St.

The second, the Landmark building, is at 80 Merrimack St.

To view additional photos of the building, visit the gallery on the O+ Haverhill Facebook page.

Artists who donate their time and talent to the festival will receive complimentary health and wellness care.

Apply Now to Participate in Haverhill’s Inaugural O+ Festival

Submissions are now open for artists, musicians, practitioners and teachers to take part in the first O+ Festival in Haverhill, MA on May 6th, 2017.

The theme of this year’s festival, “Home,” encapsulates the essence of Haverhill — a place where those whose lives are rooted in a historically rich city intertwine with those who have chosen to take part in a creative renaissance. With many buildings absent of art and space eager to engage, O+ is looking to bring a new light to Haverhill. Whether your proposal is a performance piece, installation, sculpture or mural, the art curatorial team wants to hear your ideas. The variety of venues downtown, including bars, restaurants, alleyways and public parks, will bestow an array of musical style and sound on the city.

Whether you reside in Haverhill or are coming from out of town, you are encouraged to apply. Participating artists and musicians will receive healthcare and wellness services at the O+ pop-up clinic at Phoenix Rising Spiritual Center on Merrimack Street. This exchange allows the creative community to receive care, conveniently on the day of the Festival.

Practitioners of all backgrounds and experience can apply online as well; whether you are a doctor or dentist, chiropractor or acupuncturist, podiatrist or any other provider, your healing gifts are welcome.

In addition to the clinic, the EXPLO+RE portion of the event allows for participants and attendees to enjoy classes at different locations downtown. Some classes at past festivals have included yoga, pilates, martial arts and sound healing. If you are an instructor and want to donate a class to the community in exchange for live music and art happenings, you can apply here.

O+ Festival is volunteer-run and needs the help of community members to flourish. If you are interested in volunteering leading up to the festival or on the day of, your time will be exchanged with a wristband, giving you access to the abundance of festivities to take place in May.

Submissions close Jan. 31, 2017. Apply Pressure and Elevate!

Giving Tree Yoga FLO+W Classes Benefit O+ Haverhill

Community for Karma, a charitable organization within Giving Tree Yoga and Wellness, hosts Alchemy of Sound: Deep Relaxation & Bowl Meditation. The donation-based yoga class takes place on the second Friday of each month to benefit O+ Haverhill.

Giving Tree owner Suzanne Borgioli integrates live music and alchemy bowl meditation with a gentle flow yoga practice. Calm your body and mind, and leave feeling grounded and restored.

Classes take place Friday, Nov. 11 and Friday, Dec. 9 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Giving Tree, 129 Essex Street in Haverhill.

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