About Creative Haverhill

Creative Haverhill, Inc. is a 501©3 non-profit organization that has provided residents of Greater Haverhill with arts and cultural experiences since 2009.

Our Mission:

To support Haverhill arts and culture by providing experiences and access at the intersection of art, culture, and community, and by developing community spaces as platforms for creative and cultural expression.

Creative Haverhill is a nonprofit organization committed to making arts and culture accessible, vibrant, and woven into the everyday life of our city. While Creative Haverhill has technically been operating since 1987, we’ve been an independent organization since 2009 and have been working since then to nurture creativity at every level by producing public art, festivals, exhibitions, youth programs, and cultural initiatives that engage thousands of residents each year.

As the official managers of the Haverhill Riverfront Cultural District, we are proud to support a thriving creative economy and champion projects that celebrate Haverhill’s rich cultural identity. Our major programs include the Haverhill Art Walk, a twice-yearly celebration of local artists and downtown spaces directed by Hailey Pearson, and the newly launched Haverhill Pride, a joyful intersection of art and LGBTQIA+ visibility. We also partner with the City of Haverhill and organizations like Beyond Walls to transform underused spaces with public art that reflects the stories of our community.

A major focus of our work is the Cogswell ArtSpace, our long-term initiative to transform the historic Cogswell School into a vibrant community arts center. Once completed, the Cogswell ArtSpace will feature gallery space, classrooms for all ages, individual artist studios, and shared makerspaces including a woodshop, ceramics lab, printmaking studio, and darkroom. This future home will serve as a permanent, inclusive, and creative hub for Haverhill—built by and for our community.

This year, while we work on the Cogswell building renovations, we moved into a new downtown location at 43 Washington Street (see below)—a temporary but impactful creative hub where we host gallery exhibitions, classes, and community events as we continue work toward our permanent home at the Cogswell ArtSpace. Whether through mural-making, poetry readings, or creative workshops, our goal remains the same: to connect people through creativity, foster community pride, and ensure that the arts are a tool for education, wellness, and economic vitality across Greater Haverhill.

Our Team
While we work hard to make a big impact in our community, Creative Haverhill currently operates with limited capacity and just one staff member: Director Erin Padilla. Erin leads the charge on all programming, partnerships, and operations. Have a question or want to connect? Visit our Contact page to get in touch with her!

Creative Haverhill @ 43 Washington St: Cogswell ArtSpace Incubator

We’re excited to announce our new space in downtown Haverhill—a vibrant, flexible location where we’ll begin expanding our community arts programming. This space will host exhibitions, classes, workshops, and community events, all designed to increase access to creative resources for everyone. It also serves as a meaningful stepping stone on our journey toward the future Cogswell ArtSpace.

Our move into 43 Washington Street has been made possible thanks to a Partnership Grant from the Essex County Community Foundation’s Creative County Initiative. With support from the City of Haverhill and Causeway Development, Creative Haverhill will activate and program the space for at least the next two years, bringing more art, connection, and creativity to downtown.