Debra Disman

Artist

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Teaching Artist

Be My Valentine at the Canoga Park Library

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February 14th, 2024, was a sweet day at the Canoga Park Branch Library!
A group of wonderful and creative participants joined us for “Valentine’s Day Bookmaking”.

Using the accordion fold and sized covers, they created colorful books to which they added stickers, collaged images, drawing and writing, and love!


This program was part of my artist  residency “We Write the Book” at the Canoga Park Branch Library, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs!


Hearts galore!


Librarian extraordinaire Marcia Melkonian helps our participants, along with their exemplary caregivers.


Creativity in action.


Gina, an accomplished artist and supporter of our program sets up her own creative space.


The caregivers get into the act.


Lending a helping hand.


The talented Hilary loves orange.


All of Hillary’s elements work together to create a cohesive whole.


It is fascinating how she used the orange-striped washi tape, and extended the pattern upward to create what looks like a fence. Everything os orange color-coordinated.


Then, she added the calendar image of a pinky orange sunset to the top, to complete the scene.


Completed book, with ribbon!

See the participants enjoying the workshop HERE!

Bookmaking for the New Year at the Canoga Park Library!

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Book arts are alive and well at the Canoga Park Branch Library!

I am thrilled to continue my artist residency there, working with the community, teaching bookmaking workshops (or leading “programs” in library parlance!)

The series, entitled “We Write the Book”, 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!

On January 10, 2024 community participants gathered to create an “organizer” book for the New Year and beyond. Participants folded a pocketed accordion book, added covers, then launched into adorning their books with images, decorative papers, “gems”, markers and more. They added “note” papers to their pockets with inspirational words and images. A beautiful, and hopeful time was had by all!

 

Join us to Make Books at the Canoga Park Branch Library!

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Join us to create a beautiful and fun holiday book based on the closed spine accordion structure!

Learn the accordion fold, add covers and “close” the spine so that the book can both open in pages, or extend into a sculptural form.

This workshop is part of my Artist residency: “We Write the Book”, held at the Canoga Park Branch Library, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs!

Join Us!

Flag Bookmaking Workshop at ArtShare LA!

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Join us at 11AM on Saturday December 9th and learn to create the fun and fabulous “flag book” with artist Debra Disman while being inspired by the “Paper Route” exhibition at ArtShare LA. Learn the accordion fold, add book covers and alternating flag pages, and play with “found writing” to create a kinetic book that can be opened and used in multiple ways.

Please sign up with Eventbrite!

Debra Disman is a Los Angeles-based artist known for her work inspired by the book, both as a solo practitioner and in the public sphere of community engagement. As a maker and teaching artist she creates work and projects which push the body and boundaries of the book into new media and materials, inviting altered ways of viewing the world and how we inhabit it.

DETAILS:

Date:  December 9
Time:  11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Website:  https://artsharela.org/#

ORGANIZER: ArtShare LA

Phone: (213) 687-4278

Email: [email protected]

View Organizer Website

VENUE: ArtShare LA
801 E 4th Pl
Los Angeles, CA 90013 United States + Google Map

Phone: (213) 687-4278
View Venue Website

 

Getting Ready for the Holidays at the Canoga Branch Library!

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Book arts are alive and well at the Canoga Park Branch Library!

I am thrilled to continue my artist residency there, working with the community, teaching bookmaking workshops (or leading “programs” in library parlance!)

The series, entitled “We Write the Book”, 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!

On November 18th community participants gathered to create a recipe book for the holidays and beyond. They learned how to sew a single signature (gathering of folded pages) together using the three hole  pamphlet stitch, then had the option of adding envelopes to hold treasured recipes! Decorative papers, fabric trims, stickers, markers, postcards and more were also available to use as embellishment and development of their book works.

Participants across generations created beautiful and fun books, with encouragement to keep working on them over time, and adding more recipes!

 

 

Halloween Tunnel Bookmaking at the Canoga Park Branch Library

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Book arts are alive and well at the Canoga Park Branch Library!

I am thrilled to continue my artist residency there, working with the community, teaching all manner of how-to bookmaking workshops, or “programs” in library parlance!

The series, entitled “We Write the Book”, 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 three-dimensional Tunnel Book structure, creating their own Halloween scenes and more, combining theater, books, stories and celebration into their movable dramas!