Debra Disman

“We the Artists” at 18th Street Arts Center!

November 2, 2018 By Debra Disman

If you are in the Los Angeles Area, please join 18th Street Arts Center from 7-10PM November 10th for a special event:

“We the Artists” celebrates the 30th birthday of the largest artist residency program in Southern California!

I am thrilled to have recently become a local artist in residence, and will be opening my studio to the along with others from 7-8AM during the event.

18th Street Arts Center: “Where Art Happens
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2018-2019, 18th Street Arts Center is one of the top 20 artist residency programs in the US, and the largest in Southern California. Conceived as a radical think tank in the shape of an artist community, 18th Street supports artists from around the globe to imagine, research, and develop significant, meaningful new artworks and share them with the public to foster radical imagination, empathy, and positive social change.”

“WE THE ARTISTS: 18th Street’s 30th Anniversary Celebration!
November 10, 2018 | 7-10 PM

Santa Monica, CA – 18th Street Arts Center celebrates 30 years as Southern California’s leading artist residency program with a live performance art event and free public birthday party on November 10, 2018 from 7-10pm. The event is co-hosted by 18th Street’s founding ‘compadres’ La Pocha Nostra and Highways Performance Space. The evening spectacular features new live art works by 18th Street artists Kenyatta AC Hinkle, Asher Hartman, Marcus Kuiland-Nazario, Amitis Motevalli, and site-specific installations by Kate Johnson, Daniel Canogar, Po-Yen Wang, and more! Enjoy live performances, video installations, exhibitions, music, artist’s studios, LA’s gourmet food trucks, and craft beer. ”

RSVP here for a free ticket.
18th Street Arts Center
1639 18th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404 United States

Hope to See YOU there!

Bell Library

October 21, 2018 By Debra Disman

A simple post sharing about a simply lovely program I was privileged to lead at the Bell Library one of the many fine Los Angeles County Libraries serving their patrons with devotion, commitment and love!

Parents, children and Library Staff participated. The wonderful Library provides programs every week, so if you are in their vicinity, please check them out and take advantage!

We had a beautiful creative group. Many participants knew each other, and had fun chatting during the program.

Mother and daughter duo, doing.

The younger brother in a family of four sibs, this young artist reveled in all of the materials, and the opportunity to create.

A beautiful soul creates a beautiful book, heartfelt.

don’t faint, Blackout

October 17, 2018 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled and honored to be included in: Blackout, Ashton Gallery / Art on 30th‘ s National Show, which promises to feature, “ the best pieces from all over the country that include the color black: seductive, powerful, elegant, formal, prestigious, and mysterious.”

Image identifying the show

The show was juried by Daniel Foster, who “has an extensive 30-year career in arts and museum leadership in San Diego and Southern California. He is the past Executive Director of the Oceanside Museum of Art (2012-15) and the Riverside Art Museum (2003-08), in addition to past positions with the San Diego Art Institute, UC San Diego Visual Arts Dept., San Francisco Art Institute, and the Headlands Center for the Arts. Additionally, Foster founded and launched the North County Arts Network in 2014 and the Arts Council for San Bernardino County in 2012 (when he was the President/CEO of The Community Foundation). Foster is a conceptual and multi-disciplinary visual artist and poet.”

I will be showing my work, “Maximum Security“, (2018) a black on black on black “sculptural book”, made from book board, wood, mulberry paper, paint, canvas, watercolor paper and hemp cord. It stands upright on a pedestal, shelf, table or other surface parallel to the floor. When opened, it can span up to 18″ wide. 5″ x 18″ x 10.25″

I look forward to seeing images of other pieces in the show…and hope it is such a intriguing exhibition that viewers all but faint.

Kidding… (almost…)

If you are in or around San Diego, check it out!

Latinx Heritage Celebrated

October 12, 2018 By Debra Disman

In our recent program at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, participants created accordion fold (also known as “concertina”…continuing with the musical instrument metaphor-) books.

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, they added images of Latinx art and architecture, including murals, street art, works shown in museums, and storefronts.

Participants spanned young children to seniors, with everyone becoming immediately absorbed in creating their books, and developing them with varied fascinating and colorful images of works created by an integral population of Los Angeles past, present and future.

The Virgin of Guadalupe was an inspiration.

Mother and son work together.

Participants transformed images by adding to and subtracting from them, and putting them together in new ways.

The focus of all ages…

Makers often choose to work with colors that reflect the colors they are wearing!

Pink, never gets old.

This workshop was part of my Artist in Residency project: “We Write the Book“, supported by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles. Gratitudes!

National Hispanic Heritage Month: A Bookish Celebration

October 4, 2018 By Debra Disman

In our recent program at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, 23 participants created “folded fan” books, comprised of an accordion spine, front and back covers, and fan pages. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, they added their own “Picado Papel“, decoratively cut and punched papers, which added a special touch to their creations.

Families turned out, and parents worked closely with children to achieve their artistic visions! Especially heartwarming was the number of Dads who devoted themselves to supporting their sons and daughters through the process, while creating beautiful works themselves. And let’s not forget the Moms! It is wonderful to see adults give themselves over to the creative process. Parents, and all people, so need this time.

This workshop was part of my artist residency project: “We Write the Book“, supported by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles. Gratitudes!

Children’s Librarian extraordinaire, Alice Schock, engages with a young patron, artist and participant.

Like Mother, like Daughter…

The work of our hands…and creative ways of using shaped hole punchers to create Picado Papel!

Sisters and friends work together.

This young teen, age 13, took off with a Halloween theme.

Through careful work, discerning choices, and elegant handicraft, she designed a book that we hope she will keep forever!

This young maker transformed images of a noted Los Angeles mural of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and used the beautiful colors as a surface to create a repeated design with a butterfly-shaped hole puncher.

Piper and her Dad attended an earlier workshop, and were back again creating happily together.

Father and daughter work closely on her book. her Mom said that though she herself loves scrapbooking, she could never get Dad to do it. Now, maybe he might, after seeing how much fun cutting, pasting and arranging are!

Here is Mom at work on her own masterpiece, along with older daughter.

Sebastian and his Dad work side by side. spending precious time together.

Yellow blossoms drift across a luminous pink ground, floating in a world of warm colors. Washi tape is used to good effect as a framing device on the covers.