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Debra Disman

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“Unfolding Possibilities”: The Video

August 8, 2021 By Debra Disman

Sharing the video,
“Debra Disman: Unfolding Possibilities”

Jeny Amaya – filmmaker

18th Street Arts Center– host

Why We Rise: supporter

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’s Arts Learning Lab @ Home: called: Bookmaking with Self-Compassion.

 

See the “Bookmaking with Self-Compassion 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.  How to put it all together?

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”). 

Jeny Amaya of 18th Street Arts Center created a video sharing about the workshop and the making of “Unfolding Possibilities” and it was screened at
LEFT/RIGHT/HERE: An Outdoor Art Experience
a one-night only interactive outdoor and indoor art experience as part of the exhibition Recovery Justice: Being Well. 
on
July 10, 2021 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm.

View the film!
“Debra Disman: Unfolding Possibilities”

Thank you, Jeny Amaya, 18th Street Arts Center, and Why We Rise LA for the opportunity to participate in all of these activities, and in collaboration with you and the community at-large, make a collective contribution.

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Exhibitions, New Work, Presentations, Teaching Artist Tagged With: 18th Street Airport Gallery, 18th Street Arts Center, 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, Filming, Flower Fold, Flower Fold Book, Flower Fold Structure, Folded Books, Handmade Books, Interview, Jeny Amaya, LeftRightHere, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, Making Books By Hand, Mulberry paper, Online Art Workshops, Outdoor Screening, Pandemic, Pandemic Art projects, RECOVERY JUSTICE: Being Well, Respending to the Pandemic, Screening, Unfolding Possibilities, Use Your Words, Video, We Rise, We Rise LA

“Unfolding Possibilities”: The Screening

August 2, 2021 By Debra Disman

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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’s Arts 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.  How to put it all together?

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”). 

Jeny Amaya of 18th Street Arts Center created a video sharing about the workshop and the making of “Unfolding Possibilities” and it was screened at
LEFT/RIGHT/HERE: An Outdoor Art Experience
a one-night only interactive outdoor and indoor art experience as part of the exhibition Recovery Justice: Being Well. 
on
July 10, 2021 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm.

Here are some stills from that screening. Such a wonderful experience!


Screened on the side of the Santa Monica Airport Hanger housing the 18th Street Art Center’s Airport Campus, the video came to life as the skies darkened. “Unfolding Possibilities” the artists’ book, was also on view.


A multitude of threads were used to stitch the words into the book.


Jeny did a beautiful job of documenting the process of creating the book,


highlighting the idea of possibility,


and capturing how the flower fold book structure was created.


She showed my 18th Street Arts Center studio,


and the book as a whole, possibilities unfolding.

Always, Possibilities.

Watch the video in full!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Exhibitions, Presentations, Work Tagged With: 18th Street Airport Gallery, 18th Street Arts Center, 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, Handmade Books, Jeny Amaya, LeftRightHere, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, Making Books By Hand, Mulberry paper, Online Art Workshops, Outdoor Screening, Pandemic, Pandemic Art projects, RECOVERY JUSTICE: Being Well, Respending to the Pandemic, Screening, Unfolding Possibilities, Use Your Words, Video, We Rise, We Rise LA

“Unfolding Possibilities – Possibilities Unfolding”: The Artists’ Book

July 28, 2021 By Debra Disman


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’s Arts 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.

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”). 

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.  How to put it all together?

I had already constructed the flower fold book, comprised of 12 x 12 x 12″ sheets of thick ivory colored  mulberry paper, folded and glued together to create a sequence of repeating unfolding forms.

I began with sketching and jotting down ideas, and my own emotions, as part of my morning writing practice, then developed a petal-like schemata for the words, reflecting the flower fold book structure.

I played around with fonts, settled on one, determined the sizing for the words, and printed them all out, then cut them into strips, so each could be easily seen. Laid out on my work tables, they seemed to call out for attention and consideration. I placed my Mom’s amazing half-century old (at least) sewing box on the table as an inspirational centrifuge, and set to work.

I put together words in a four point petal formation on each section, both front and back, of the structure, using the folds as a guide, and paired some words that related to each other, and others that were opposed, to express the wide range of human emotions and experiences brought forth by the pandemic.
I chose sewing thread from my Mom’s box to reflect the everyday-ness of the activity of sewing  and the healing function of stitching, and mending through sewing.
Using a soft, low-tack tape, I gently adhered each word to the structure, then gave it my awl, to punch the sewing holes for each word.
Soon realizing I would be using up all my Mom’s remaining sewing thread, I invested in a set of brilliantly colored cotton threads, and combined tones and hues of each chosen color to give each word brilliance, depth and complexity, using my study, experience and practice of color associations. It was amazing to see a virtual garden of words, generated by the community, come to life and bloom on the pages of the flower fold book.
Some would find the sewing process tedious, but it is my joy…to see the words unfold and blossom, a colorful array of possibilities.
The front and back covers were stitched in gold to express the golden thread of empathy and humanity that connects us all, in spite of and perhaps amplified by the shared experience of pandemic. A golden thread expressing the silver lining of a crisis. The covers are made of several sheets of mulberry paper glued together to create a pasted paper protector, with a yellow sheet sandwiched within to subtly reflect the gold thread.
Unfolding Possibilities, Possibilities Unfolding, blooming like a flower, and framed in gold.

 

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, New Work, Presentations, Teaching Artist, Work Tagged With: ("Unfolding Possibilities - Possibilities Unfolding"), 18th Street Arts Center, 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, Flower Fold, Flower Fold Book, Flower Fold Structure, Folded Books, Handmade Books, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, Making Books By Hand, Mulberry paper, Online Art Workshops, Pandemic, Pandemic Art projects, Respending to the Pandemic, Unfolding Possibilities, Use Your Words, We Rise, We Rise LA

Unfolding the Possibilities: Bookmaking With Self-Compassion 3

July 21, 2021 By Debra Disman

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

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, hopes, wishes, dreams, cares , fears, realizations, trauma, and the full gamut of human emotions.

Individually folded sections could be glued together to create a chain that could be folded back into a square.

Covers were added to present and protect the pieces.

The works created are inspiring!

Watch the workshop HERE!

 

 

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist, Work Tagged With: 18th Street Arts Center, Art in the time of pandemic, Artist Book, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Arts Learning Lab, Bookmaking, Bookmaking With Self-COmpassion, Community Art Projects, Community Collaboration, Flower Fold, Flower Fold Book, Flower Fold Structure, Folded Books, Handmade Books, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, Making Books By Hand, Online Art Workshops, Pandemic, Pandemic Art projects, Respending to the Pandemic, Use Your Words, We Rise, We Rise LA

Art Less Traveled

July 4, 2021 By Debra Disman

“NARROW BRIDGE”, 5.5 x 16 x 3.5″, mixed media Artists’ Book / Flag Book Structure (board, paper, linen thread, tissue, collage, window treatment material)

I am thrilled to be participating in the exhibition:

Backroads: Art, Less-Traveled

(through July 30th, 2021)
at:
Vestige Concept Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA,
Curator: Alexander Sands  2021

This exhibit showcases works of art that venture off the beaten path, especially with regard to travel.   Artwork includes places or experiences involving hidden gems, special or unusual places, wanderings, odd travel, strange encounters, and/or “lost” and fading places.

Featuring work from: Paul Roden, Heather Wendelboe, Julia Scheckel, Bengu Cetinkale, Kent Klaudt, Hannah Ayers, Edward Rossel, Walt Padgett, Majorie and Bob Moskowitz, Mark Dierker, Debra Disman, Kate Snow, Jeffrey Neumann, Paige Kleinfelder, and more!

5417 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
contact@vestigegallery.com
Tel: ‪(412) 532-8969‬

View the show!

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Exhibitions, New Work, Presentations, Work Tagged With: Alexander Sands, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Backroads: Art Less Traveled, Book Arts, Book as Art, Books made by Hand, Contemporary Art Exhibitions, Handmade Books, Reid Magette, Sculptural Books, Vestige Concept Gallery

The Fantasticalness of Fiber

June 15, 2021 By Debra Disman

I was honored to participate in FANTASTIC FIBERS 2021 at the Yeiser Art Center.
What a fantastic experience!

“One of  Yeiser Art Center’s most engaging and innovative international exhibitions, FANTASTIC FIBERS is showcasing a wide range of outstanding contemporary works related to the fiber medium.”

HISTORY:
The show began in 1987 as a wearable art show but has evolved over the years to include a compelling mix of traditional and non-traditional works created from natural or synthetic fibers, and work that addresses the subject or medium of fiber.  Paducah becomes a Mecca for quilters and quilt enthusiasts each April as more than 30,000 visitors from across the globe attend AQS QuiltWeek. 

I showed “PROFUSION”  a sculptural Artists’ Book made of book board, mulberry paper, paint, canvas, watercolor paper and hemp cord. It stands upright on a pedestal, shelf, table or another surface parallel to the floor. When opened, it can span up to 24.5″ wide:

JUROR:  Sandra Johnson
“My quilt journey started over 30 years ago and I continue to be inspired by the myriad of fabrics and techniques learned over time. I am a passionate teacher who encourages students to create unique fabric creations, whether the end product is a quilt or garment. Creating what is important to the maker is a joyful experience that I try to pass on in my workshops. Wherever you are in your design process my goal is to inspire your creative “genius” and improve your techniques. 
Hand sewing with my grandmother started it all. From the beginning, the process of transforming fabric into art struck me as magical. Sewing was the foundation that led me into quilting. What started as a hobby turned my passion into an artistic reality.
I love to hand stitch using the traditional Japanese Sashiko and Boro embroidery styles and incorporating them as a decorative feature into my designs. The concrete, repetitive nature of this work frees my imagination provides many opportunities for happy accidents and grace to influence the finished product.
My core materials for quilting are thread and fabric, however, I often employ recycled denim, yarns, dyed fabrics and stamps to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. I hold a B.S. in Clothing, Textiles and Design from Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
Recently, I discovered modern quilting: simple, crayoned patchworks that resonate deeply with my fiber work. Inspired and invigorated by a renewed sense of continuity, and awed by the mystery of how creation occurs, my process allows me to explore visions to enable my creative work to evolve and grow.” 

TOUR THE SHOW!!!!

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Exhibitions, Presentations, Work Tagged With: Exhbitions, Exhibition, FANTASTIC FIBERS 2021, Fiber, Fiber Arts, Groups Shows, International Show, Juried Show, Juried Shows, Sandra Johnson, Yeiser Art Center

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