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Debra Disman

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BOOKS

“We Write The Book” Flag Bookmaking Workshop Honors Women Artists at the Northridge Library

March 12, 2025 By Debra Disman

I was thrilled to lead a”Flag Bookmaking” workshop at the Northridge Branch Library in honor of Women’s History Month, International Women’s  Day, and Women Artists everywhere!
Participants learned how to create the fun and fantastic FLAG BOOK structure, and about ground breaking women artists Faith Ringgold, Frida Kahlo, Yayoi Kusama and Georgia O’Keeffe.
SO Much Fun and Learning, and Engagment was had by all.





Leon, age 6,  worked his idea through from conception, to color, to pattern to layering! Note that his shirt features a book, and is the samecolor primary color scheme of red, yellow and blue as his flag book, or, vica versa!


Amazing works created by participant Cathy, who began these books at a previous “WE WRITE The BOOK” workshop, and completed them at home! (Folded Fan Book Structure)

I am honored to work with the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR).  I am honored to be serving the City of Los Angeles again through the DCA.


I am an artist-in-residence at the Northridge Branch Library, conducting bookmaking workshops and events for the local community and library patronage from February through May, 2025, every other Wednesday afternoon, 3:30-5:00PM, and Saturday 11:00am – 12:30PM

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, LIBRARIES, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist, Women Artists Tagged With: Accordion Fold, art-making workshops for families, Artist Residency, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, Books with Pockets, Community, Community Artmaking, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Faith Ringgold, Families Making Books, Family Bookmaking, February, Flag Book, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Handmade Books, Intergenerational Arts workshops, International Women's Day, LAPL, Librarians, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, mixed media books, NEAR Residency, Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency, Northridge, Northridge Branch Library, Self-expression, Sewn book, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, Women, Women Artists, Women's history month, Yayoi Kusama

“We Write The Book” Closed Spine Accordion Bookmaking Workshop at the Northridge Library!

March 11, 2025 By Debra Disman

IN HONOR OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY and WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH!

Join us as we learn to how to create the fun and fantastic Closed-Spine Accordion Book at the Northridge Branch Library in honor of Women’s History Month, International Women’s  Day, and Women Artists everywhere!

Learn about ground breaking women artists Faith Ringgold, Frida Kahlo, Yayoi Kusama and Georgia O’Keeffe.  All materials included!

March 19 @ 3:30 – 5PM
FREE!
All materials included!

I am thrilled to work  with the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR).  I am honored to be serving the City of Los Angeles again through the DCA.


I am an artist-in-residence at the Northridge Branch Library, conducting bookmaking workshops and events for the local community and library patronage from February through May, 2025, every other Wednesday afternoon, 3:30-5:00PM, and Saturday 11:00am – 12:30PM

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, LIBRARIES, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER, Textiles/Fiber/Cloth, Women Artists, Work Tagged With: Accordion Fold, art-making workshops for families, Artist Residency, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, Books with Pockets, Closed spine accordion, Community, Community Artmaking, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Faith Ringgold, Families Making Books, Family Bookmaking, February, Flag Book, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Handmade Books, Intergenerational Arts workshops, International Women's Day, LAPL, Librarians, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, mixed media books, NEAR Residency, Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency, Northridge, Northridge Branch Library, Self-expression, Sewn book, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, Women, Women Artists, Women's history month, Yayoi Kusama

PAPER Is In The Air…

February 18, 2025 By Debra Disman

The proverbial scent of paper is in the air!

I am delighted to be showing in two exhibitions focussed on PAPER in the months of February and March.

First up is the exhibition “PAPER” is presented online February 13, 2025 – March 13, 2025 by Site: Brooklyn

SEE THE SHOW HERE!

The 20th century marked the peak, and subsequent decline, of paper’s dominance over everyday life. “Paperwork” is still a near-universal experience, but like everything else, has taken a more-and-more virtual form. Paper, unlike most artistic mediums, is a substrate first and artistic medium second. Created from textile waste, paper is woven very deeply into the fabric of modern life. It can be equally associated with the transformation of work, easy replication, industriousness, disposability, creativity, and experimentation. Since its invention, these qualities have encouraged artists to prepare, design, and experiment on paper. Ironically, it was in the later part of the 20th century when artists like Dorothea Rockburne. Ed Ruscha, and Robert Rauschenberg took the investigations of the Cubists into papier collé and developed paper as both a physical object, and a subject. Site:Brooklyn is looking for works that continue and expand this tradition.

Exhibition Juror, Rachel Gladfelter  is the Director at Pace Paper. Previously, she was the gallery director for the Pace Prints NYC, a fine art print gallery specializing in original, limited-edition prints in collaboration with printmaking affiliates, Pace Editions and Pace Paper. Before that, Gadfelter held the position of Studio Director for Dieu Donne Paper.

I am deighted to show “Excavation of the Interior”, 2021, 12 x 28 x 12.5″, wood, paper, cloth, hemp cord, linen thread

Curatorial Statement: Rachel Gladfelter
Paper is an exhibition that brings together 42 artists working within this versatile medium.  Ranging from intimate collaged ink drawings like Christopher Miller’s Dog Sitting to Svetlana Grigoryeva’s earthy and tactile Breathing of Bark, paper promotes ideas as expansive as its material capability.

Ancient and versatile, paper has historically acted as a carrier, allowing the sharing of ideas, image and word.  With the advent of exploratory papermaking studios and residency spaces in the mid to late 20th century, artists began creating work within the medium itself, bringing new energy and innovation.  Paper’s potential is infinite as both substrate and essential substance.  

As a substrate, it is luring.  To quote Ellsworth Kelly, “When I see a white piece of paper, I feel I’ve got to draw.  And drawing, for me, is the beginning of everything.”  As a medium in and of itself, the ability to create new ideas from the raw materials of fiber and water has a romantic tactility.  Paper can be additive: poured, painted and brushed.  It can be constructed into a new form.  It can be a lightweight shell of an object, or it can be a solidly cast shape.  It can be wrapped around an armature, and it can be cut, torn or shredded.  Paper can be painted on, photographed, crumpled up, eaten, heard, touched, twisted, drawn on, printed on and carried in protest.  It is fragile yet resilient.  It transports history, stories and secrets.  It moves as easily in a systematic mail system as in the unpredictable wind.  Paper is responsive.  It is historical and present, bringing life and purpose to ideas.  Paper is an analogue in a digital age.   The works in Paper share the significance of this medium’s intimacy and clear purpose in its utilization; albeit shown in a digital exhibition. The artists exhibited create works where paper is intrinsic to their ideas around themes of pattern, nature, politics, structure, and memory.  Each wall highlights one of these motifs. – Rachel Gladfelter

Site:Brooklyn Gallery is dedicated to exhibiting the current practice of contemporary artists. We are taking Site:Brooklyn online with a new series of interactive exhibitions. Our goal remains the same, to connect artists with an expert and diverse set of jurors through the open call format. Our new program focuses on online open call exhibitions, selected by a cast of new jurors, solo artist features, and spotlights.

SEE THE “PAPER” SHOW HERE!

In March I will be showing in the exhibition CUT/FOLD/PRESS, presented at Craft Alliance, and juried by the renowned Buzz Spector. More to come on this in another post!

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Exhibitions, Presentations, TEXTILE/FIBER, Textiles/Fiber/Cloth, Venues, Work Tagged With: ARTIST BOOKS, Brooklyn, Buzz Spector, craft alliance, Cut/Fold/Paste, Dieu Donne Paper, Group Exhibition, New York City, NY, NYC, Online Show, Pace, Pace Editions, Pace paper, Pace Prints, Pace Prints NYC, Paper, Paper in artowrks, paper show, Rachel Gladfelter, Site: Brooklyn, Site: Brooklyn Gallery, Works on and of paper, Works on paper

Bookmaking Love at the West Hollywood Library!

February 11, 2025 By Debra Disman

I was thrilled to lead a Valentine’s bookmaking program February 8th, 2025, at 2PM at the  West Hollywood Library, a beautiful and welcoming place for the whole community!

Participants learned to create their own accordion fold book with pockets and pop-ups they could give a a gift for Valentine’s Day or keep for themselves.
They added  special messages into the pockets, and learned how to create fun one and two-cut pop-ups!
Refreshments and all materials were included.

See VIDEO HERE!

A love-filled time was had by ALL!


 


See VIDEO HERE!

 

 

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist, Work Tagged With: Accordion Fold Book, Bookmaking, Bookmaking at the Library, Bookmaking for the Community, Books with Pockets, Boox, Community, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, Folded Books, Friends of the West Hollywood Library, Frineds of the Weho library, Frineds of the West Hollywood Lobrary, Handmade Books, Library arts workshops, Love filled bookmaking, making Books, Making Books Together, Making Valentines, POP-UPS, Valentine Love, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Bookmaking, WEHO Library, West hollywood Community, West Hollywood Library

Open Studio Take 2

October 31, 2024 By Debra Disman

Thrilled to have my nephew Sam visiting and here for our Open Studios at 18th Street.

Thanks to Henry Graham Murray for the images!


Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Exhibitions, Presentations, TEXTILE/FIBER, Women Artists, Work Tagged With: 1653 18th Street, 18th Street Arts Center, ARTIST BOOKS, Black Sculpture, CALIFORNIA OPEN, Debra Disman, Family, Fiber, Henry Graham Murray, Installation, Sculpture, Textile, Visitors

Flag Book and Variations: Book Structures Workshop with artist Debra Disman

September 3, 2024 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to partner with Textile Arts LA and the Patricia Sweetow Gallery to teach “Flag Book and Variations: Book Structures Workshop”
on 

September 29 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

ENJOY BOOKMAKING IN COMMUNITY IN A GALLERY SETTING!

Presented by Textile Arts LA!

In Conjunction with Patricia Sweetow Gallery

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to create the kinetic and versatile “Flag Book” structure, as well as a full-page variant, termed the “Folded Fan”. You’ll learn how to make folded page variations, and how to create one and two-cut apertures and pop-ups. With a focus on textiles and fiber, participants will explore ways to develop, embellish, and adorn their books with texture, color, pattern, and image, as well as how to employ “found writing” to add text.

I will guide you in the methods and extensive applications of the accordion fold in bookmaking, gluing, and collage techniques, ways of adding stitching/sewing, and how to create poetic text effortlessly will also be covered. The last hour of the workshop will be devoted to bringing projects to completion as time permits, how to add techniques from the participants’ chosen art forms and expertise to their books, and sharing completed or in-process books as desired.

Materials Included:

Book board prepared for book covers
Acid-free paper prepared for book spines
Acid free- glue sticks
Neutral pH Adhesive/brushes
Scissors
Folding tools
Awls/punching tools
Hemp and other cord and thread
Drawing and Writing Materials
Print Media (repurposed)
Fabric and paper scrap and samples (repurposed)
Designer wallpaper and textile samples

Materials/Tools to Bring if Desired:

Favorite scissors for cutting paper and fabric
Awl or other “punching” tool
Collage materials (that can be glued with a glue stick or fluid adhesive)
Print Media to cut up and repurpose (magazines/books/brochures/postcards

Purchase Workshop

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2024. 12:00 – 4:00 PM at Patricia Sweetow Gallery 1700 So. Santa Fe Ave. Suite 351, Los Angeles, CA 90021.
parking available

SIGN UP HERE!

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER, Work Tagged With: BOOK STRUCTURE, book structure variations, Book Structures, Bookmaking, bookmaking at 1700 Santa Fe, Bookmaking in Los Angeles, bookmaking in public space, bookmaking in the gallery, Carrie Burckle, Fiber, Flag Book, Folded Fan Book, Folded Fan Flag Book Variation, Found Poetry, Found Writing, Hands on bookmaking, Making Books By Hand, Patricia Sweetow, Patricia Sweetow Gallery, Print Media, TALA, Textile Arts LA, Textiles

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