In August, I had the immense honor to teach a 2-week lantern parade and processions workshop at the Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Deer Isle, Maine. I do not identify as an accomplished craftsperson of lanterns, since I am mostly self-taught, and was at first concerned about teaching at this renowned craft school. Perry Price, the director of the school, assured me that the most important goal for the workshop would be for participants to feel like they had the skills and capacity to organize their own community parade in their own town once they got back home. That felt like a worthwhile and exciting outcome for me, and one I did feel equipped to handle.
The two-week experience was extraordinary. Fourteen artists and cultural organizers from across the United States and Canada, from a diversity of backgrounds, ages and experiences came to the session. The two-week session included daily explorations of community building and facilitation techniques that I have learned from so many community artists and groups over the years. Everyone built a basket reed and paper lantern, and together we built a collaborative score for the lantern performance and procession, presented on one of the last days at Haystack. We learned so much from each other, and I from them, from ways of making their lanterns to facilitation techniques. Below are a few photos from the experience. So much gratitude to Abel, our Studio Assistant, Ann, Auds, Allison, Avery, Yosh, David, Ursula, Jessica, Sarah, Christine, Mila, Sofia and Claire, to the Haystack staff, the ocean, spruce, granite and loons.
