Annie Leahy, executive director of Mechanics’ Hall, talks about an initiative to fill empty downtown storefronts with art installations to “tell a visual story” about what the space cold become.
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Annie Leahy, a former producer with ABC News in New York, is the executive director of Mechanics’ Hall, a nonprofit cultural hub and member-supported library in Portland. Mainebiz sat down with her in the downtown landmark to talk about the group’s mission and the Arts District Solutions Group it is co-leading with fellow Portland nonprofit TEMPOart to help revive a neighborhood in transition.
MB: For readers unfamiliar with your organization, what is Mechanics’ Hall?
Annie Leahy: We present literary events, live performances, educational workshops and community gatherings that connect people through the arts and humanities. We’re also stewards of one of the oldest membership libraries in the country, and obviously in this beautiful 1859 building that continues to serve as a place for public life.
MB: What books can people get from your library they can’t get from other libraries?
AL: If you are a voracious reader and devour everything from the Indie Bestseller List to the New York Times Bestseller list, they are a lot easier to access than at the public library.
MB: What’s the Arts District Solutions Group?
AL: The Arts District Solutions Group is an informal coalition of cultural leaders, business owners — downtown stakeholders — working to address Portland’s urgent economic challenges and some of the issues that have led to that. Our goal is to ensure that the Arts District is both welcoming and sustainable — for artists, for audiences, for residents, for visitors.
MB: How would that work in practice?
AL: The idea is that we’ll engage artists, we will pay them, we will support them by buying materials and we will take over between six and eight vacant storefronts and tell a visual story of what somebody might imagine there. Ours is a simple, low-barrier effort to hear what artists might consider doing in those spaces, what the community would like to see along the Arts District corridor and another opportunity for developers and landlords to showcase that space in a way that might create new engagement, but also that might spark an idea. Somebody might not have thought of a perfumery or a sneaker shop or something. The idea is for it to generate conversation, but for that conversation to also drive economic growth.
MB: Where are you with the plan?
AL: The biggest challenge right now is getting access to the spaces so we really need these landlords and developers to say yes. Everybody I’ve talked to is essentially on board and excited, it’s just a matter of figuring out timing, etc., and how we get in there.
MB: How much are you raising for this initiative?
AL: Our budget is $15,000 and we’re working to raise that from business and individual donors.
MB: The artists would get the space for how long?
AL: We talked about six months, but if the space gets leased, then that’s fine. If the space doesn’t, and the landlord wants to extend, they could potentially go longer. It’s just our initial effort and initiative to draw attention to the fact that there are too many empty storefronts right now in this corridor and anything we can do to draw positive attention is a good thing.
MB: What are your plans for this historic building?
AL: Mechanics’ is moving toward a once-in-a generation renovation that will increase seating capacity, modernize the performance and rehearsal spaces and make the building fully accessible while preserving its historic integrity. We’re going to start working toward feasibility studies as we move toward the end of this year and the beginning of next year.
MB: Lastly, what would you say about the economic impact of the arts on Portland?
AL: The arts are really the soul of Portland — and a powerful engine for its economy. Our creative sector draws visitors, supports thousands of jobs and truly shapes the identity of our city. Cultural institutions like Mechanics’ Hall are not just presenting performances, but they foster connection, spark dialog and bring people together. They’re vital civic assets, and they’re key drivers of economic viability, community cohesion and downtown renewal.