Health care-focused O+ Festival coming to North Adams

When it comes to getting by as an artist, there's an old saying: "Sing for your supper." This weekend in North Adams, Mass., the phrase could be updated to "Create for your health care."

On Saturday, the O+ Festival will fill the grounds of MASS MoCA and nearby streets with muralists and musical acts, plus workshops and seminars on various aspects of traditional and alternative wellness. Meanwhile, 150 participating artists and volunteers will be receiving free treatments from about 60 practitioners. The event culminates with an 8 p.m. ticketed performance by Les Nubians, a French duo known for a distinctive blend of R&B and hip-hop.

The first O+ (O Positive) took place in Kingston in 2010 where it has continued annually. Since then, festivals have sprung up in Poughkeepsie, the Bronx, Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area. While the model remains the same – artists doing their thing before or after receiving care from health practitioners – each festival is a locally produced undertaking. In North Adams, the artistic scene is strong, but access to health care is limited.

"We have such a vibrant creative community that keeps attracting artists trying to be artists. MASS MoCA has created a tidal wave of people moving here," says festival director Jessica Sweeney. "But as an artist your income fluctuates. You can qualify for free health care in down months, then you get some work or get some gigs and it's oh no now you need to pay for insurance. And a lot of people can't afford the amount they're being asked to pay."

Sweeney, 30, is a concert producer who also plays the ukulele and makes jewelry. She adds that even with insurance or cash in hand, seeing a local primary care provider can involve a six-month wait for an appointment. A series of conversations with peers about this common struggle prompted her to...