O+ will feature Grammy award-winning American Roots musician Allison Russell with her band at its upcoming “O+ 365” benefit concert on May 24th at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston, NY.
Ticket sales will provide direct support to The O+ Exchange Clinic, O+’s new year-round exchange-based clinic, which provides health and wellness services to O+ artist and musician alumni. Limited seating is available for 600 people. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased here.
Allison Russell, recognized for her soulful vocals, vulnerable lyrics, creative instrumental arrangements, and activism, is an eight-time Grammy nominee with a 2024 Grammy Award win for Best American Roots Performance for her single “Eva Was Black.” Since going solo in 2021, the recognition of her unique style and power has garnered an array of accolades, including the 2022 Americana Music Association’s Album of the Year Award for “Outside Child,” Canadian and International Folk Music Awards, UK Americana Awards, and Juno Awards. Originally from Canada, Russell is on tour throughout North America this year.
The O+ 365 benefit supports the organization’s efforts to address the extraordinary need for ongoing health care access for artists, many of whom are un/under-insured and don’t have consistent access to care. Last year O+ made a transformative shift: the organization moved from providing 3-days of exchange-based health and wellness services to artists who contributed to its annual festival to now providing 365-days of care for all O+ festival alumni. In addition, the Clinic secured its operating license from the State of New York.
“The shift from 3 to 365 days of care accelerates health care access for more than 6,000 O+ alumni,” said O+ Wellness Director and Primary Care Physician Dr. Lizette (Dre) Edge. “It isn’t hyperbole to say without ongoing care, lives are at stake; it’s real. The status quo marginalizes and harms – rather than heals. O+ shifts the care landscape.”
O+’s short term goal is to provide comprehensive preventative care – with an emphasis on mental health, dental and primary care – to its intersectional alumni community in order to build a sustainable model of exchange that is both scalable and replicable in order to then expand to serve entire communities. In fact, the year-round exchange-based model already has far-reaching implications for the entire community, beyond artists: The expansion now makes it possible to create more opportunities to offer public education and community wellness sessions through O+’s participating health practitioners, artists, and musicians. Upcoming sessions open to the community include education sessions on nutrition and gut health led by practitioners and doctors.
“We are honored to have Allison Russell and her Rainbow Coalition supporting our mission through the O+ benefit this year. Known for her incisive and deeply compassionate work, Allison is a charismatic performer, a survivor, and a joy bomb who sings from a place rooted in values and a desire for connection,” said O+’s Art Director Lindsey Wolkowicz. “Notably, her music is a conduit for radical healing, community building and belonging, which completely align with O+ values. Her participation as the lead artist in support of O+’s benefit concert is exceptionally timely, as we are deeply focused on expanding care through our unprecedented year-round model based in valuing everyone’s contribution to the collective, all while acknowledging the essential, healing power of the arts in our lives and communities,” she added.
Since 2010, O+ Festival’s 3-day exchange-based festival clinic has provided 5,292 clinic treatments and 1,457 dental treatments. “Our 365-day expansion means more care for more people. We appreciate our concert-goers, donors and sponsors who support our mission of exchanging the art of medicine for the medicine of art,” said Dr. Edge.
Event details
Date: May 24th, 2024
Time: Special Access Ticket Holders at 6:00pm, Doors open at 6:30 for general admission. The concert starts at 7:00 pm
Location: Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall Street Kingston
Tickets: $75 for general admission seating and $150 for special access tickets (premiere seating with cocktail hour). Tickets are on sale here
For more information about the event or to schedule interviews with the O+ team or Medical Director Dr. Lizette Edge regarding the vision for The O+ Exchange Clinic, please contact Lindsey Wolkowicz at lindsey@opositivefestival.org.
