Northshore Magazine

April 2014 nshoremag.com 33 Bradford Rail Trail project, public art instal- lations, and the annual River Ruckus river- front festival to the city. Among the volun- teers is Eric Karlstad, co-owner of Lakeview Kitchen and Team Haverhill's current president. Karlstad, who used to live in Bos- ton, was looking for great real estate values and a simpler life, and discovered that in Haverhill while riding the Downeaster train from Boston to Ogunquit, Maine. Path," and was inspired by the city's hills and the Merrimack River, "which was, for a long time, the heart of the city," Rogers says. That statue is also inscribed with a quote from Haverhill poet John Greenleaf Whittier's poem of the same name. "That was one of the more meaningful pieces for me in my career," Rogers says. "I went to John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School, so it's like coming full circle." Rogers says he's witnessed firsthand how committed Haverhill has become to art in recent years. For instance, the Team Haverhill Mural Project is a series of mu- rals by local artists such as Susan Decker, Cindy Prevett, and Alan Pearsall. Team "It's an evolving diamond in the rough," Karlstad says of the city he now loves. "It's for people who appreciate that life is not always finessed and polished, yet [who] still strive to be part of cultural institutions and [want to know] what's going on in the world." Haverhill, without a doubt, has work left to do. For instance, plans are finally taking shape to convert the abandoned Wool- worth building and other nearby buildings into Harbor Place, which will house busi- nesses and a UMass Lowell satellite cam- pus. The city has come a long way. It's that mixture of grit and polish; of city streets and rolling farmland; of historic factories and new developments; of townies and newcomers that is shaping Haverhill into the exciting, evolving, interesting, and yes, seemingly contradictory, city that it is. "We've had a dramatic revitalization of our downtown. We call it the Haverhill Renaissance." —haverhill mayor james fiorentini Haverhill is also responsible for the Essex Street Gateway Mural, which depicts no- table residents on the brick façade of the building at 25 Essex Street. Other works include the large fiberglass shoe sculp- tures that make up the Soles of Haverhill installation throughout the city. Soon, the exhibit will expand to include more shoes of a different design that incorporates public benches. "The idea is that the Soles of Haverhill— Fashion Forward 2014 becomes one phase of an eventual bridge-to-bridge art loop that will link the two Merrimack River bridges," says Team Haverhill President Eric Karlstad. The group has also raised $55,000 to acquire works for the Art Walk at the Bradford Rail Trail. "I think inroads are being made into making [the city] a destination," says Ann Jones, vice president of the Greater Haver- hill Arts Association. "I think you just get a sense that the people in that loop really do support the arts. They want to see more." Mayor James Fiorentini also wants to see more. In fact, the city is currently working to re-zone some of its downtown to make way for artists' lofts. "We're very committed to the creative economy," he says, adding of artists: "We think they're a critical part of the econo- my." teamhaverhill.org photographs by robert boyd New Industry: Left to right, Andrew Talbot, Dave Matteson, and Dale Rogers working in Rogers's studio. Right, Haverhill's history includes shoe manufacturing, which is now being celebrated with an art installation of oversized fiberglass shoes. KJ Apr14 Haverhill.indd 33 2/20/14 5:45 PM

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