Crea1ve Haverhill invites the public to an Open House to see the progress and vision for Cogswell ArtSpace on Saturday, October 28th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Cogswell School.

Crea1ve Haverhill invites the public to an Open House to see the progress and vision for Cogswell ArtSpace on Saturday, October 28th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Cogswell School. Come inside and take a look! The future home of Cogswell ArtSpace will be open to the public on Saturday, October 28th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM for visitors to interact with the vision for the space. The proposed renovation includes a formal gallery on the first floor to accommodate curated and juried exhibitions; a community gallery space for local artists to show their work; classrooms transformed into crea1ve programing spaces; and a cluster of studios on the second floor for ar1sts to create side by side in a collabora1ve, inspira1onal seXng. This Saturday, visitors will have the opportunity to walk through the vision for the first floor. One classroom will be staged as the formal gallery, displaying the work of professional local ar1sts Jeff Grassie, Susan Kneeland, and Mark Hayden. The main entryway, or “community gallery” space will feature the artwork of Chris1an Whi_on. In another classroom, the Greater Haverhill Arts Associa1on has set up a s1ll life and a live clothed model where they will host their bi-monthly art workshop from 9:00 AM to Noon. And the remaining classroom will provide all day children’s cracs and ac1vi1es led by Crea1ve Haverhill. Photo boards will be set up on the front lawn, where artist Greg Moutafis will be creatively painting a donated piano throughout the day. At 12:30 PM, Creative Haverhill invites artists of all kinds to participate in an artist studio forum led by Team Haverhill’s Alice Mann. This brainstorming session will help complete the vision for the artist studio spaces proposed for the second floor of Cogswell ArtSpace. To register for the artist forum, please contact Jenny Arndt at jenny@creativehaverhill.org. It has been three years since Creative Haverhill volunteers set out on a mission to acquire and renovate Cogswell School, a vacant municipal building located at 351 South Main Street in Haverhill into a community art center. Since then, the Haverhill community has rallied around the cause, with various residents offering up their talents to plan fundraisers specifically for the Cogswell ArtSpace ini1a1ve. Some examples of these fundraisers include a photography exhibit, a handmade gic market, concerts, a hair cut-a-thon, a flower arranging workshop, and most recently local artist Dale Rogers’ “American Dog Show” on Bradford Common. Rogers’ famous big dog sculptures were decorated by sponsors and placed in Bradford Common over the weekend, with vendors, raffles, and live music drawing in large crowds. Fifty percent of proceeds raised were donated to the Cogswell ArtSpace initiative. Crea1ve Haverhill’s Arts and Culture Coordinator Jenny Arndt said “It is evident based on the support we have received so far from individuals, community organiza1ons, businesses, the City of Haverhill, and state agencies that everyone is on board to transform this run down building into a vibrant community art center! We can’t wait to open the doors permanently and show the community what they have accomplished!” In Addison to event fundraisers, last year’s successful crowdfunding campaign met a $50,000 challenge set by MassDevelopment through the online platform Patronicity. MassDevelopment then matched the $50,000 raised, bringing the project’s total over $400,000 raised to date. A portion of those funds have been used for repairs to shore up the structural stability of the roof as well as complete a necessary environmental remediation of the property, since the building had been unheated and exposed to the elements since its closure in 2010. More funds are needed to complete the purchase of the building and its renovation. By creatively adapting and preserving this historical landmark, Cogswell School will not only retain the building’s original educational mission, but also will simultaneously revive the arts and cultural community by providing a dedicated art facility. Please join Creative Haverhill this Saturday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Cogswell ArtSpace, 351 South Main Street in Bradford and see how you can become part of its success! # # # #]]>