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Getting Organized with Bookmaking at the Canoga Park Branch Library!

August 20, 2023 By Debra Disman

We held our second  “We Write the Book” artist residency program at the Canoga Park Branch Library on August 19, 2023.

The series, supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, will offer 11 hands-on bookmaking workshops and a culmination event to the community free of charge, with all materials included

In the spirit of getting organized for the new academic year, I taught participants ranging from small children to seniors how to create an accordion-fold book with pockets, add covers, then sew in “signatures” (gatherings of folded pages), to make their books super organizing tools, with places to store notes, make notes, and take notes!

The series, supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, will offer 11 hands-on bookmaking workshops and a culmination event to the community free of charge, with all materials included!

Participants from children to teens to families to seniors learned how to create the accordion fold book structure and add pockets, then develop their books with a variety of decorative and print materials to make them their own.  A good time was had by all, as those attending learned new skills, socialized and inspired each other with their book creations!
Even the Librarians got into the act!

Children’s Librarian Luz and teen volunteer Scott supported participants while creating their own books!


Scott cuts lengths of beautiful striped and glittering paper cord for participants to use in sewing their signatures into the folds of their accordion structures.


Library volunteer Carmen and participant Laura move through the process.


Stellar participant Gina helps fellow student.


We were joined by an energetic family of five, helmed by this intrepid Mom!


Playing with color, textures, design and form are the nuts and bolts of the process. Participants made creative decisions and learned about themselves in the process, while gaining skills in folding, cutting, sewing and gluing.

We hope to see everhone back next month, at 12:00 noon on Saturday September 23rd!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: Accordion, Accordion Book Structure, Accordion Fold, Accordion Fold Book, Accordion fold book with sewn signatures, Artist Residency, Artist Residency Culmination, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, Books with Pockets, Canoga Park Branch Library, Canoga Park Library, Community Artmaking, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, Culmination, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Getting organized, Handmade Books, Intergenerational Arts workshops, LAPL, Librarians, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, mixed media books, Organization, Self-expression, Starting school year, Summer reading, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles

Making Flag Books at the Brand!

August 15, 2023 By Debra Disman

I was thrilled to lead a fun and fabulous flag book workshop at the Brand Library and Art Center in Glendale!

Supported by The Associates of Brand, the workshop was held in conjunction with Brand 51: Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, now on view in the Brand Library and Art Center galleries.

I am honored to be showing in this exhibition, and it provided an excellent context the workshop, in which participants learned how to make the versatile accordion folded spine and combine image and text in a way that allowed them to become author, artist, designer and writer in one fell swoop!

We dedicated the workshop to the creative efforts of all those facing challenges caused by the fires that raged on Maui.

A meaningful time was had by all.


Assembling the components, Covers, flag pages, and accordion spine (to be folded).


Using a wooden tool designed for ceramics to assist in folding.


Cutting up treasures to create more treasures!


Adding personal writing.


Writing in a personally created language and alphabet!


Adding maps.


Using origami paper, and origami methods!


Here’s to the black, white and brown!


Creatively employing the exhibition postcard as book covers.


A beautiful marriage of image, text, design, art and craft!
The message of this piece says it all….

May it be so.

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Exhibitions, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: Associates of Brand, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, brand, Brand 51, Brand 51 Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, Brand Library and Art Center, Canoga Park Branch Library, Canoga Park Library, Community Artmaking, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, Creating travel journals, Culmination, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Flag Book, folded and glued book, folded book, Glendale, Glendale Arts and Culture, Handmade Book, Handmade Books, Intergenerational Arts workshops, LAPL, Librarians, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, mixed media books, Self-expression

Bold Journey Magazine: “Meet Debra Disman”

August 9, 2023 By Debra Disman

I was honored to be interviewed by BoldJourney Magazine!

logo

About Bold Journey

Catagory: Resilience

Meet Debra Disman

August 4, 2023

We were lucky to catch up with Debra Disman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Debra, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I think resilience is something that you can observe over time, and its level shifts around on a day to day basis, depending on what is going on both internally and externally in the moment. One of the most important factors in my practice is consistent work, showing up at the studio each day, and doing what I can to move things forward. I apply this to my other work too: administrative tasks, online presence, applications, writing, meetings, planning and an array of teaching activities. Especially when something feels daunting, I try to do even the smallest task to move the needle. After a while, this can become a habit, and helps to break down the enormity of all that needs to be done into something more manageable and even fun! Speaking of fun, claiming that which is enjoyable, taking moments to relax and refresh, and even “putting it all down” for a time as my Mother used to say, helps me to clear my mind, gather my thoughts, renew my energy, and come back to work stronger and with greater clarity. All the basics, including exercise, connecting with nature, meditative activities, playful time with loved ones, and especially focusing on the breath, can help offset the overwhelm and eventual burn-out that can happen with constant input, and even inspiration. Sometimes we just have to turn all of that off , focus inward, and return to our most basic selves. Be silly for a second! Paradoxically, that process can allow space not only for new ideas and insights to emerge, but may provide inner direction on the knotty choices and decisions that have to be made in everyone’s life. Make room for joy!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Springing initially from the form of the book, specifically the western codex, my work traverses tapestry, installation and sculpture to push the familiar into forms that arrest, baffle and bewilder while simultaneously offering rest, solace and contemplation. I employ the materiality of fiber to engage the senses, and invite altered ways of experiencing the world and how we inhabit it, both soothing and confounding the eye with uneven visual repetition. Through this means of stabilizing and destabilizing, I hope to instigate fundamental questions that encourage an exploration and examination of what we think we know and are.
Devoted to material labor, I love nothing more than to be submerged in material manipulation, which inevitably will yield some kind of distilled meaning. The evocative, visceral and profoundly physical quality of materials drives the action of my work, giving its emotional resonance, vis a vis how they are used. I am compelled to layer, wrap, stitch, knot, tie and glue, as well as paint, draw and write, intuitively layering, complicating and disrupting the surface to add levels of meaning, and ultimately a unity of plane and form.
Often, the meaning becomes clear during or after this process, rather than as a directive before, as if it had been there all along, and simply surfaced during the act of making.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
What is described as generosity is very important. Whether it is as a teaching artist with students and participants, a small business-owner with clients, or an artist with viewers, curators, collectors, or any others in the art “eco-system”, I have found that it is critical to consider others’ needs, what they may be going through, and to support their efforts. This is always a balancing act, and thus the next on the list would reverb back to resilience as discussed earlier, and balance: balance between giving to others and giving to yourself, between giving and taking, between doing /action, and dream space. As mentioned before when discussing resilience, it is critical not to burn out before you have even defined your journey! Break down tasks, even the most abstract or indefinable, into manageable “chunks”, do one thing at a time, take breaks to relax your mind, and engage in non-work activities to nourish yourself both on your own and with others. Finally, continue to learn and grow both individually and in community. I have engaged in numerous learning activities which have been extremely beneficial, often in ways I could not have imagined, including organized certificate programs, joining groups where I met with and learned from and with others, and even online activities. Learning in community can be challenging, but even those challenges can help you to grow, and learn even more.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The number one challenge I face at this moment is TIME! How to manage it, what decisions to make about how I spend it and how to claim it for myself as the world gets ever more complex and demanding. There is a saying, “The reward for work is more work”, and I have found this to be true. As I do more, evolve my work, take on more projects, connect with more people, participate in more shows and engage with more opportunities, I have to continue to make more choices about how I spend my time and energy in a shifting landscape.

Contact Info:

  • Website: https://debradisman.com/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artifactorystudio/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debra.disman
  • Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debradisman/ 

     

Image Credits
Photographer: Gene Ogami

 

Filed Under: ARTISTS, MEDIA, New Work, Publications/Interviews, Women Artists, Work Tagged With: "I Can't I Won't I Will I Do", Artist Debra Disman, Artist interview, Artists, Arts online magazine, Bold Journey, Bold Journey Magazine, Debra Disman, Gene Ogami, Interview, Los Angelels-based artist, Los Angeles Artists, Online artist interview, Online Magazine, recognition, Resilience

“Contemplating Boundaries” at the Korean Culture Center with Launch LA

August 2, 2023 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to be a part of “Contemplating Boundaries”, a group exhibition presented at the Korean Culture Center of Los Angeles in conjunction with Launch LA, a Los Angeles Institution and brainchild of James Panozzo.

JULY 27 – AUGUST 18, 2023

Boundaries exist in all cultures-often as social constructs serving to regulate our actions, norms, taboos, and space. They may be codified laws, common societal traditions, or even self-imposed rules. 

“Contemplating Boundaries” brings together artists from across Southern California whose practices contemplate and reflect barriers, labels and limits- whatever their origin or purpose. These artists and their works- define our times, providing an authentic lens to view contemporary culture.

JURORS

TeaYoun Kim-Kassor (Professor, Department Chair, Otis College of Art and Design)  TeaYoun Kim-Kassor (Phonetically, TaeYun: “Tea” as in “Taylor” & “Youn” as in “Sun”) is originally from South Korea and has a varied background in education; she received academic degrees in S. Korea, Japan, and the U.S.  As an artist, educator, and cultural ambassador, she has been developing her artistic path, teaching pedagogy, leadership, and management skills to embark on transnational education and emphasize the importance of understanding global perspectives. She is currently a Professor and Department Chair of the Foundation Program at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, CA.

Mika Cho (Professor, ART/Director, Cal State LA Fine Arts Gallery) Dr. Mika Cho was appointed as Special Assistant to the President for Arts and the director of the Cal State LA Fine Arts Gallery in 2017. Prior to her appointment as the director of the Fine Arts Gallery she served as the chair of the Art Department. She is art educator, researcher, educational consultant, curator and visual artist, the last comprising numerous exhibitions at museums and galleries. Her research interests are in art-related and educational issues, which she shares through publications and extensive conference presentations nationally and internationally.


I am showing:

“Profusion”, 8.75″ x 24.5″ x 7.75″, book board, mulberry paper, paint, canvas, watercolor paper, hemp cord

and


“The Gates”, 7.5″ x 20″ x 10.25″, book board, canvas, cheese cloth, jute cord, string

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Exhibitions, TEXTILE/FIBER, Women Artists, Work Tagged With: Antonio Kim, Artist Debra Disman, Carlo Marcucci, Cindy RInne, CONTEMPLATING BOUNDARIES, Dan Monteavaro, Danielle Eubank, Deborah Lynn Irmas, Debra Disman, Elizabeth Tinglof, Eric Almanza, EunKyoung Beak, Group Exhibition, Group Exhibitions, James Panozzo, Jim Zver, John Koller, Joo Kyoung Park-Kwon, Julia Wolinsky, Julie Lipa, Juried Show, Karin Skiba, Kerrie Smith, Keun S. Lee, Korean Cultural Center, Kyong Boon oh, Launch LA, Leah Knecht, Lorraine Bubar, Lyle Everett Rushing, Michele Benzamin-Miki, Michelle Emami, Mika Cho, nancy Ivanhoe, Nancy Kay Turner, Nurit Avesar, Open Call, TeaYoun Kim-Kassor, Viktoria Romanova

“We Write The Book” Artist Residency Begins at the Canoga Park Branch Library!

July 26, 2023 By Debra Disman

We “kicked off” our “We Write the Book” artist residency at the Canoga Park Branch Library on July 18, 2023 with an accordion-fold book workshop (“Program” in library parlance)!
The series, supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, will offer 11 hands-on bookmaking workshops and a culmination event to the community free of charge, with all materials included!

Participants from children to teens to families to seniors learned how to create the accordion fold book structure and add pockets, then develop their books with a variety of decorative and print materials to make them their own.  A good time was had by all, as those attending learned new skills, socialized and inspired each other with their book creations!
Even the Librarians got into the act!

 

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS Tagged With: Accordion, Accordion Book Structure, Accordion Fold, Accordion Fold Book, Artist Residency, Artist Residency Culmination, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, Canoga Park Branch Library, Canoga Park Library, Community Artmaking, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, Creating travel journals, Culmination, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Handmade Books, Intergenerational Arts workshops, LAPL, Librarians, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, mixed media books, Self-expression, Summer reading, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles

Bookmaking at the Community Corporation of Santa Monica With 18th Street Arts Center!

July 26, 2023 By Debra Disman

I had the wonderful opportunity to lead a bookmaking workshop through 18th Street Arts Center for the Community Corporation of Santa Monica at one of their residential buildings.

Supported by the magical Leigh Ann Hahn and intern Ning Sun, I taught an engaging and creative group how to create the “Folded Fan Book” structure, and encouraged them to make their project their own through conceptual development and adornment, utilizing a marvelous array of decorative papers, stickers and leveraging  their own imaginations!


I am always amazed and humbled at the extent of people’s creativity, ability and efforts.
Bravo…

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: 18th Street Arts Center, Accodion book, Accordion Binding, Accordion Fold Book, CCSM, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, Community Corporation of Santa Monica, Family Art Education, Folded and glued handmade books, Making Books Together, The Book As Art

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