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Debra Disman

Artist

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Artist in Residence

“Women Artists Unfolding”: Celebrating Women Artists at the West Valley Regional Branch Library

March 19, 2023 By Debra Disman

In honor of Women’s History Month (March) the West Valley Regional Branch Library celebrated women artists with a bookmaking workshop led by artist in residence Debra Disman!

Patrons joined us to create their own  handmade books which unfolded to hold informative and inspiring images and information about renowned artists Faith Ringgold, Frida Kahlo and Yayoi Kusama.  All materials were provided. The program is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Yayoi Kusama and her ubiquitous polka dots was a hit!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Student Work, Teaching Artist, Women Artists Tagged With: "We Write The Book", Artist Residency, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, Books with Pockets, Community Artmaking, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Faith Ringgold, folded, Frida Kahlo, Handmade Books, LAPL, Librarians, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, mixed media books, Self-expression, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Women Artists, Women's history month, Yayoi Kusama

Visioning the New Year with the Panorama Branch Library

January 6, 2022 By Debra Disman

In December, 2021, we completed our  2021-22 Artist Residency in bookmaking  at the the Panorama City Branch Library, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

I say “we” rather than “I”, as this was a team effort with the Library Staff, and of course, the DCA, always supportive!

During our residency “CULMINATION EVENT” participants created “Vision Journals” to welcome the New Year, and help them set intentions and goals for 2022.

Our online event was well-attended, fun and inspiring.
A wonderful way to complete the Residency, the year, and gather our strength, resiliency, hope, imagination and creativity to move into 2022!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist, Uncategorized Tagged With: 2022, AIR Program, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Autumn, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, City Department of Cultural Affairs, Culmination, Culmination Workshop, Family Bookmaking, Handmade Books, LA Department of Cultural Affairs, LAPL, Los Angeles Public Library System, Make Your Own Book, New Year, Online Art programs, Online Bookmaking Programs, Online Library Programs, Online program, Pamphlet Stitich, Panorama City Branch Library, Public Event, Sewn Books, SIGNATURE, Vision Journal, Visioning the Future

MOON BOOK: Bookmaking for the Winter Solstice!

December 28, 2021 By Debra Disman

Moon, Luna, Lunar
It was an honor to lead a special bookmaking workshop through my Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs artist residency at the West Valley Regional Branch Library to welcome and celebrate the Winter Solstice on December 21st, 2021!
We focused on the MOON.

Our participants of assorted ages, cultural backgrounds and experience levels created “Moon Books”, exploring the meaning, metaphor and movement (or phases) of the Moon, inspired by this rich theme, their materials, and the fun and  comfort of creating in community!

The results were inspiring too, investigating, celebrating and exploring the moon in (her) many facets through science/astronomy, story and the elements and materials of visual art: line, shape, color; collaged together into (folded and glued) book form.

 

An inspiring time had by all, including the participating Library staff and myself, teaching and supporting this program! We are always inspired by our participating makers, learners and sharers!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: 2022, AIR Program, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Astrology, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, City Department of Cultural Affairs, Collage, COLOR, Concertina fold, Culminating Event, Culmination Event, Fall, Folded and glued Books, Full Moon, Handmade Books, LA Department of Cultural Affairs, LAPL, Line, line shape color, Los Angeles Public Library System, Luna, m Lunar, Make Your Own Book, Memories'Holiday, Moon, Moon Phases, New Moon, New Year, Online Art programs, Online Bookmaking Programs, Online Library Programs, Shape, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Winter Holidays, Winter Solstice

Unfolding Possibilities: Something to Ponder for the New Year

December 15, 2021 By Debra Disman

What do we seek, yearn for, want, crave, need, are motivated to strive for, for this New Year coming up?

What is Possible?
And

How do we Achieve it?

What are the Possibilities, and how do we Realize them, in this day and age, in this present moment, under our current circumstances, confronted by challenges seemingly too numerous to count, much less take in?


Unfolding Possibilities, (front cover) 2021, 6+ x 78″ x 6+”, mixed media artists’ book

We have to somehow move forward in a positive way, keep on truckin’, keep on trying, keep at it, continue, keep on keeping on.
We have to try, each in our own way. Hopefully, something will line up.


Unfolding Possibilities, (closed) 2021, 6+ x 78″ x 6+”, mixed media artists’ book

An initiative of the Los Angeles Count Department of Mental Health, Why We Rise LA took place in May 2021, supporting hundreds of Community Arts & Culture Projects which took place across all Los Angeles County neighborhoods, in partnership with more than 100 community groups, artists, grassroots leaders, healers and other LA County Departments. These projects and collaborations included mural making, ancestral healing workshops, a Countywide public literary art project, a Countywide chalk art program and more to celebrate the remarkable resources and communities in LA County and used arts-based strategies for healing and wellbeing.

I was honored to teach a workshop as part of Why We Rise LA 2021 in coordination with 18th Street Art Center’sArts Learning Lab @ Home: called: Bookmaking with Self-Compassion.
See the workshop HERE!

Nearly 70 online participants learned to create the “Flower Fold” book structure, then added embellishment, images, and words expressing their experience of the pandemic, where they are at now, what they learned, what they wanted to share, their hopes, wishes, dreams, cares , fears, realizations, trauma, expressing the full gamut of human emotions.

The range of words submitted was wide-ranging, thought-provoking and evocative….including opposite emotions and experiences and bits of truth-telling, realizations and wisdom participants seemed eager to pass on to others in other words, humanness in its multiplicity.

I took the words generated by this workshop, and requested from the community at large, and stitched them into an Artists’ Book I made as a community collaboration, entitled, “Unfolding Possibilities“.  (“Unfolding Possibilities – Possibilities Unfolding”).  Videographer Jeny Amaya created a video of the project which was screened during the 18th Street Art Center event, “Left/Right/Here“

Unfolding Possibilities, Possibilities Unfolding: the making of above.

Unfolding Possibilities, (interior) 2021, 6+ x 78″ x 6+”, mixed media artists’ book
Unfolding Possibilities, (interior detail) 2021, 6+ x 78″ x 6+”, mixed media artists’ book

When confronted with what seems like overwhelming odds, and not in your/our, favor, try making something, try creating. Here is a workshop to show you how to do it, just one of countless, infinite ways you can make something (out of almost nothing-), create something, experience working with your hands and heart and imagination, craft something, fashion something, and perhaps share this with others. Relax your heart and soul and play. Just see, if you do not emerge, like the butterfly, stronger for the effort. Enjoy. See what happens.

Wishing You the absolute best, healthiest, most creative, most supportive, safest, and imaginative, New Year, now and ever.

Here. We . Go.

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Exhibitions, New Work, Presentations, Teaching Artist, Work Tagged With: 18th Street Arts Center, 18th Street Arts Center (Airport Campus), 18th Street Arts Center Campus, 18th Street Arts Center exhbitions, Art in the time of pandemic, Artist Book, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Artists' Book/s, Arts Learning Lab, Awl, Bookmaking, Bookmaking With Self-COmpassion, Community Art Projects, Community Arts, Community Collaboration, Film, Flower Fold, Flower Fold Book, Flower Fold Structure, Folded Books, Frida Cano, Handmade Books, Left/Right/Here, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, Making Books By Hand, Mulberry paper, Online Art Workshops, Pandemic, Pandemic Art projects, RECOVERY JUSTICE: Being Well, Respending to the Pandemic, Sara Delaiden, Screening, Unfolding Possibilities, Use Your Words, Video, We Rise, We Rise LA

December Brings FREE ONLINE Bookmaking Workshops!!!

December 9, 2021 By Debra Disman

Celebrate the holidays and welcome the New Year by making your own handmade books!

Please see the fliers below, each holds sign-up information, or all the phone number listed!

You  can also email me, Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs Artist in Residence Debra Disman, at debra@artifactorystudio.com,  for further information!

We hope to “see” you there!

 

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: 2022, Accordion Fold Book, AIR Program, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Astrology, Autumn, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, City Department of Cultural Affairs, Concertina fold, Culminating Event, Culmination Event, Fall, Fall Holidays, Family Bookmaking, Folded and glued Books, Full Moon, Handmade Books, Journal, journaling, LA Department of Cultural Affairs, LAPL, Los Angeles Public Library System, Make Your Own Book, Make Your Own Journal, Memories'Holiday, Memory, Moon, Moon Phases, New Moon, New Year, Online Art programs, Online Bookmaking Programs, Online Library Programs, Panorama City Branch Library, Sewn Books, SIGNATURE, SINGLE SIGNATURE BOOK, Single Signature bookmaking, The Phases of the Moon, Vision Journal, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Winter Holidays, Winter Solstice

Treasured Memories and The Art of the Book

December 3, 2021 By Debra Disman

Through my Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs artist residencies at the Panorama City and West Valley Regional Branch Libraries, participants have created handmade books to hold treasured memories, including recipes, photos and more.

Especially during these time, to create a repository such as this, can become a vision for the future, as well as a shrine to the past, and preservation of cultural, family and community memories, rituals, experiences and guides.

I am honored to do this work!

 

 

 

Seasons Greetings, Peace on Earth and in Our Hearts, and May You Enjoy Treasured Memories and Currents Events Now and Ever.

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Teaching Artist Tagged With: Accordion Fold Book, AIR Program, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Autumn, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, City Department of Cultural Affairs, Concertina fold, Fall, Fall Holidays, Family Bookmaking, Folded and glued Books, Handmade Books, LA Department of Cultural Affairs, LAPL, Los Angeles Public Library System, Make Your Own Book, Memories'Holiday, Memory, Online Art programs, Online Bookmaking Programs, Online Library Programs, Panorama City Branch Library, reasured memories, Recipe Book, West Valley Regional Branch Library

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