Debra Disman

Artist

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Teaching Artist

We made a “Storybook Theatre” at Craft Contemporary!

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On January 11, 2026, I had the great pleasure of leading a “Storybook Theater” bookmaking workshop at the Craft Contemporary Museum for their all ages Craft Lab, entitled, “Make a Storybook Theater with Debra Disman“!

Participants were encouraged to:
“Become the author of your own story and create a one-of-a-kind storybook theater book. Combine stories, books and theater with a dramatic flair using a variety of recycled paper materials.”

So. Much. Fun!

A vibrant group gathers.


The dynamic Dr. KATE ZANKOWICZ, Ph.D., Craft Contemporary’s Director of Education, introduces the program, and encourages participants.

Focus and concentration.


Cutting without a template, freehand…to create the year of the horse (hello) and the snake (bye bye).


Book within book, to explore a theme.


Care and communication, sharing ideas.

Even the stairs were used as a work surface, by choice!



Mothers and daughters,

Partners and friends, worked together.

  Hollywood was an inspiration,



As well as Zebras!

Such a beautiful group creating beautiful, thought-provoking and whimsical works.

HERE are the Step-by-step HOW-TO instructions to create the STORYBOOK THEATER:
StorybookTheaterProgram_FINAL_PowerPoint

ENJOY!

“WE Write the Book” Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency CULMINATION!

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I was thrilled to serve again as a 2025-26 “NEAR” Artist in Residence at the Northridge Branch Library!

On December 20, 2025, after 11 onsite bookmaking workshops with the community at the Library,  we held our Residency CULMINATION Event!

Below are videos and images of the event. Families, seniors, students and staff graced us with their presence!

View the splendid books participants created through the Residency!
Hear the participants words as they share their books!

Participants shared the books they had made, supported and celebrated each other, and reveled in project materials to create small, sewn, travel books to send them into 2026 and Beyond!

Artists and devoted workshop attendees Amy and Cathie share their BookWorks!


This young bookmaker loves cars, and his book/s reveal his knowledge of them!

His sister created books about endangered animals and how to help them; flowers; and a cookbook of favorite recipes!

    Moms and sons create books!

          A a beautiful, learning-filled and fun time was had by all.

Here’s to a healthy and creative 2026!

 

“Unfolding Possibilities” at the Los Angeles Museum of Art

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On December 13, 2025, I was honored to teach a bookmaking class entitled “Unfolding Possibilities” at LACMA (The Los Angeles Museum of Art). It was fun to teach right in front of the extraordinary monumental outdoor sculpture, “Levitated Mass” by Michael Heizer, a 456-foot-long concrete slot constructed on LACMA’s campus, over which sits a 340-ton granite megalith.

Upon entering LACMA’s  Resnick Pavilion, we observed the use of layered and torn paper in  artist Mark Bradford‘s  “150 Portrait Tone“, visited the ongoing exhibition,  “Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia” to observe accordion fold structures, and the  “Deep Cuts: Block Printing Across Cultures” show  to view a variety of codex book structures with pages and signatures as preparation for our bookmaking process. We found inspiration in the large-scale outdoor sculptures of  Ai Weiwei:  “Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads (2011) and  Simone Leigh 16′ tall  Sentinel (2022); finding commonalities between the artworks and our reaction to them.

After our energizing and thought-provoking artwork, sculpture, exhibition and museum gallery visits,  we returned to our outdoor workspace, and let the fun begin: Folding, measuring, gluing, hole-punching, sewing and embellishing to create our own Unfolding Possibilities.
How great for the New Year.

We created accordion-folded book which unfolded to reveal pockets and pages. Students learned to fold and sew “signatures” (gatherings of folded pages)  into the “valley” (downward or exterior-pointing) folds of the structure.


The amazing teaching assistant Alexis was a great support, and a credit to the LACMA education department!

 
Education Department Staff Susi Castillo keeps Everything on track!

For those interested, this Unfolding_Possibilities_step-by-step contains the diagrammatic step-by-step instructions for the folds and the pamphlet stitch.

 

 

“WE Write the Book”: Making Flower Fold Gift Books-in-a-Box at the Northridge Branch Library!

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I am thrilled to serve again as a 2025-26 “NEAR” Artist in Residence at the Northridge Branch Library!

It was a joy to teach the “flower fold” book structure that participants could place in small boxes they embellished, and offer to to others or to themselves for the holidays!

Makers had access to beautiful origami papers direct from Japan!

Participants including family groups, seniors and others learned how to make the flower fold book structure using a myriad of beautiful origami papers, and then how to attach multiple flower folds together to create a longer book that folds up into a square.

Needless to say, magnificent works were created!


Makers’ Hands!

       
Making use of materials in a different way!

This Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) is supported by the wonderful City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

JOIN US for MORE BOOKMKAING FUN and LEARNING!
All programs free and open to the Public, All materials provided!

Join us for our next workshop on December 10, 2025!

And for our CULMINATION Event on December 20th!

“WE Write the Book”: Making CODEX Books with Spines at the Northridge Branch Library!

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I am thrilled to serve again as a 2025-26 “NEAR” Artist in Residence at the Northridge Branch Library!

On November 22, 2025, participants learned how to create a sewn “codex” book with a spine, and how to add a single  signature. Signatures are two or more sheets of paper stacked and folded as a group, or a gathering of folded pages, using the pamphlet stitch.


Using all sorts of materials, participants transformed paper scraps into intricate scenes and designs,


used material found in nature,

employed drawing tools, using markers, paint pens and pencils,

added maps and more,

and supported each other while having fun and learning new things!

We have three more programs in December, including a grand CULMINATION event on December 20th.
JOIN US!

This Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) is supported by the wonderful City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

JOIN US for MORE BOOKMKAING FUN and LEARNING!
All programs free and open to the Public, All materials provided!

“WE Write the Book”: Two-Signature Bookmaking at the Northridge Branch Library!

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I am thrilled to serve again as a 2025-26 “NEAR” Artist in Residence at the Northridge Branch Library!
The participants here are finding combination style books, folding accordion structures and pockets, and sewing in signatures, or gatherings of folded pages into the folds. 


These books are perfect for recording and holding treasured family recipes!


Stickers remain a perennial favorite of the younger set…


and a lovely time of learning and making was had by all. 


This Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) is supported by the wonderful City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

JOIN US for MORE BOOKMKAING FUN and LEARNING!
All programs free and open to the Public, All materials provided!