The 2024 Portland Lantern Walk team is led by Christina from Love Lab Studio, and made up of a collaborative group of many incredible creatives, artist and community members!
Our lantern workshop and set design team from Love Lab Studio includes Mazie Bartels, Athena Cappela Lynch, Hyeri Yoon, Fairen Stark, Masters of Teaching Art students from MECA Madeline Gaffey, Meagan Brand, Ella-Mae Spinali, Kate Savidge, plus other folks to be added!
Our music production and stage show is led by Emilia Dahlin. Lighting/stage is led by Sean Meshaw with SPACE lighting/stage crew.
Sound and recording is led by Pete Nenortas. Our photography team includes Annabelle Collete.
This list continues to grow, and when you make your own lantern, and/or come to the walk, you are part of this creation of public art!
photo/Winky Lewis
ANNIE LEAHY/Co-Founder
Annie has over 20 years of experience creating and running media, arts and social innovation and community programs in New York City and Maine. She is the Executive Director of Mechanics’ Hall - a literary arts and performance space in the heart of Portland, Maine’s Arts District. She previously served as Executive Producer and Director of Programming for Poptech, the renowned innovation and social change network. Leahy is the former Board Chair of SPACE Gallery and on the advisory board of The Portland Bach Experience. She lives in Portland with her husband , two children, a gecko, a “covid” kitty and the newest addition, a old black Labrador puppy named Simon. MECHANICS HALL
CHRISTINA BECHSTEIN/creative director
Artist and teacher Christina Bechstein leads the Portland Lantern Walk and is also the Director of Love Lab Studio. She has led and organized both large and small scale community and place based public art and education projects in Maine, Boston and Detroit. As a former Associate Professor of Art she has taught in art + design schools across the US, specializing in community based public art. Her creative workshop and public art methods, love of empowering children and all to be artists, with her team of artists who assist each Lantern workshop, allows each participant the opportunity to successfully create a gorgeous lantern. LOVE LAB STUDIO
photo/winky lewis
Emilia Dahlin/performer and Producer
An award-winning singer songwriter, Emilia garners great joy from collaborating and co-creating and believes that music and storytelling are some of the most powerful tools to foster connection between people and create positive social change. A teaching artist, who facilitates songwriting as a means for personal expression, creative collaboration, and language exploration, Dahlin’s a fellow of Noel "Paul" Stookey's (Peter, Paul & Mary) organization, Music To Life, which supports and amplifies the work of musician-activists. She also the founder of Sing Me A Story, a workshop that helps early childhood educators strengthen and enliven their learning spaces with song. EMILIA DAHLIN
Jessica Muise /Capacity Building Support for the PLW
Jessica Muise is a dedicated consultant and arts advocate with two decades of experience supporting creative communities and environmental organizations. She is the founder of Muise Consulting LLC, where she helps arts, culture, and environmental groups thrive. Raised outside of Boston, she comes from a long line of craftspeople and has built her career on fostering shared infrastructure for artists, engineers, and creatives working toward a better world. She has played strategic roles for organizations like Artisan’s Asylum, New England Foundation for the Arts, TEMPOart, Farm Hack, Greenhorns, Boston Center for the Arts, The Umbrella Arts Center, and MASSArt, and now applies her expertise to help organizations and individual artists make meaningful, lasting change. Jess is thrilled to support organizational capacity and strategic development for Portland Lantern Walk. JESSICA MUISE