Studio Staff

Oak Street Studio’s instructors are fun, energetic and full of life! They are dedicated to providing the highest quality of fine arts instruction available to young people. You will find that most of our instructors are working artists who show locally.

We always welcome volunteers—click here.

BETH WILBUR VAN MIERLO is an artist and the director, founder, and curriculum developer of Oak Street Studios, as well as an occasional teacher! She is an avid supporter of the arts, in particular art for young people. Before starting her business in 1999, she created and ran several summer arts programs in South Portland. She has initiated and taught several in-house art programs in Portland's local public schools as well as at a local mental health center. She holds a BFA in sculpture and drawing from the University of Southern Maine. Aside from teaching and operating the art institute, Beth is enthusiastic about creating and supporting social opportunities through the arts. For more than a decade she has been a supporter and volunteer of Shoestring Theater. She loves to travel and lives in the West End with her husband, twin sons and daughter.

CATHERINE LABARRE is originally from Québec, Canada. Catherine graduated from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières in 2010 with a Bachelors in Theater and Visual Arts Education and moved to Portland early in 2011. She has worked for Oak Street Studios since Fall 2011. Catherine currently pursues a studio practice using various techniques such as painting, drawing, ceramics, digital art and installation art. She truly enjoys working with recycled materials. Catherine also likes to travel and participate in volunteer projects abroad. She has been to a few countries such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic and Haiti. You might see her painting kids’ faces on the First Friday Art Walk!

CLARE FLORE Studied Illustration and Printmaking at Chicago Art Institute, Grand Valley State University of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Kingston University of London. After graduating in 2006 with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Geology she began working as a Freelance Illustrator for a local children's book publisher and ran an enrichment program for at risk inner city youth as well as teaching workshops for the cognitivelty and physically disabled through VSA (Very Special Arts). In 2009, Clare moved to Maine to attend Maine College of Art's post-baccalaureate program in Art Education to further her passion for working with and empowering youth people through art and life skill delelopment. After graduating, Clare has settled in the Portland Community, working as a Montessori toddler teacher and teaching drawing workshops at Oak Street Studios. She finds inspiration in her work with children and within the landscape, culture and overall majesty that is Maine and shows her work often at local spaces and galleries in the area.

ROSE ALLARD has been teaching children's and adult art classes in the Portland area since 2012.  Focusing mostly on textile based arts and sewing courses, she is happiest when working with fibers and fabric!  Rosie graduated from Maine College of Art with a Bachelor's in Textile and Fashion Design. She is passionate about sustainability, art education and children's connection to sewn arts. When not teaching she enjoys working on her knitting machine or tinkering in the kitchen. 

ANNE ACKERMAN earned her BA in Art from the University of Southern Maine and returned to earn her BFA in Art Education with a studio concentration in photography. Anne is a certified k-12 visual arts teacher and received the Art Education Discipline Award from USM for her approach to curriculum and her volunteer work with at-risk youth. Originally from Oregon, Anne moved to Maine at a young age. Time spent on both coasts has influenced Anne’s artwork. As a photographer, Anne is interested in capturing the textures, lines, shapes and patterns found within nature and her environment. Anne’s studio work includes black and white photography, collage, mixed media and clay.

Jill Osgood is a book artist who enjoys illustration, hand lettering, and making all kinds of fun paper creations. She studied Fine Arts at the School of the Worcester Art Museum and Portland School of Art. Currently she is happy to be a student again and will receive a BA from USM in 2016 with a concentration in Painting and Drawing and a minor in Book Arts. Her work and life are deeply influenced by the natural world and the beautiful state of Maine. She lives and works in Portland’s West End.

Casey Ledoux is a visual and audio artist from Portland, Maine. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from the University of Southern Maine in 2014. He began his creative career as a photographer for the Free Press, USM’s student newspaper, later working with Dispatch Magazine, Northeast Hearing & Speech and more. His primary works utilize original photography, video, music, sound design and modern technology.

Meg Christie is a performer, teaching artist and therapist.  Improvising is an integral part of every aspect of her life.  She is a founding member of Portland Playback Theatre, playing back stories from the audience since 2006. After working in community mental health for about 10 years, she started a small private therapy practice in 2003, incorporating various expressive modalities including dramatic play and improvisation. She has taught improv to a wide range of ages from kindergarteners to college students. She has a deep belief that practicing improvisation is valuable to everyone and anyone as a tool for learning and exercising the principle of agreement, sharpening active listening skills, teaching and strengthening compassion and so many other benefits. Her goal in all of her adventures is to reduce fear of judgement and support growth, transformation and healing.

Jay Piscopo has been working as a comic artist, author ,illustrator , animator and teacher for over 30 years. He created the Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli graphic novel series as well as art directing educational CDs for Tom Snyder and animation projects for ABC and Disney’s EPCOT center as well as updating Lockheed Martin’s website with comic inspired illustrations of the future. Jay looks forward to creating lessons that inspire students to focus on how to bring their own creations to life through drawing and visual storytelling.