| The Opioid Epidemic Panel – Discussion starts 6:30pm
The panel discussion will center on the Opioid crisis and how this man made epidemic was created and what society can do to help end it.
Domenic Esposito is an artist and social activist, the purpose of his work is to create haunting, sometimes dark but always memorable sculptures symbolic of injustices to humanity within our society. His goal is to create a deeply visceral disturbance in the soul that calls out for help. Recently he embarked on his most ambitious, personal and controversial project with the creation of the Opioid Spoon, an eight hundred pound, ten foot metal replication of a simple household utensil modified for use as a tool to snort and inhale opioids. He crafted the Spoon in honor of the struggles of both his family and the thousands of families who have lost loved ones to this horrific crisis.
Maureen Cavanagh is the founder and President of Magnolia New Beginnings, Inc., as well as the President of Magnolia Consulting Services. Maureen Cavanagh is an educator, recovery coach, public speaker and the author of “If you love me: A Mother’s Journey through Her Daughter’s Opioid Addiction” Published by Macmillan/ Henry J. Holt. In 2012 she founded the national nonprofit organization, Magnolia New Beginnings, and the online peer support groups, Magnolia Addiction Support. She is also President of Magnolia Consulting Services, which is primarily involved with management consulting for small and large nonprofit organizations and parent peer recovery coaching.
Jon Cohan – Jon Cohan has over 11 years’ experience in the substance use disorder and mental health fields. He practices addiction therapy and family addiction counseling at his office in Concord. He is in long-term recovery .Jon sits on the Advisory Board of Middlesex Community College’s Addiction Counseling Program and is also on the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Central Middlesex. As co-host for The Right Mind Media Podcast, Jon has interviewed Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, and many other notable guests on the subject of addiction, recovery, and mental health issues. The show has won two National Media Awards in 2014 and 2015 from the National Association of Social Workers. Jon has appeared as a guest on Fox 25 news and WGBH’s “Greater Boston” to speak about the opiate crisis in New England.
Brendan Little is Policy Director of Recovery Services (ORS), the City of Boston’s newly created office coordinating all addiction recovery efforts across the city. ORS is the first and only municipal recovery office in the United States. Brendan formerly worked at the City of Boston’s Office of Workforce Development, where he helped create policies that supported high-risk, court-involved youth with educational and employment opportunities. In 2014, he traveled to Pakistan with a US State Department delegation on behalf of the City of Boston to present on Boston’s work with high-risk youth.
Art Exhibit
“FDA Spoon” – The third and latest Opioid Spoon created and dropped by artist Domenic Esposito. The Spoon was placed in front of the Health and Human Services Building in Washington DC on April 5th, 2019 to protest the FDA’s role in fueling the opioid epidemic. The sculpture is made of solid cast aluminum weighing over 700 pounds and measuring 10 feet in length.
18 inch Opioid Spoon Series – On exhibit at the show will be two limited series 18 inch spoons. Solid cast bronze spoons 18x6x5.75 inches, 12.7 lbs, Edition of 30 with one artist proof. Solid cast aluminum, nickel plated 18x6x5.75 inches, 5 lbs., Edition of 100 with one artist proof.
Display on view through June 16
MORE About Domenic Esposito |
