Artist
In July I started a new Artist Residency in Bookmaking, “We Write the Book” at the West Valley Regional Branch Library of the Los Angeles Public Library, through the Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs.
The Residency is comprised of a series of bookmaking workshops presented at the Library, planned in close coordination with Library Staff.
I was thrilled to work with the newly forming Teen Council, organized by teen Librarian Roya Rahimi.
Teens and tweens and even a parent or two joined us, and learned to make the fun and fabulous Flag Book!
They folded accordion spines, added covers, and glued in their flag pages to create a pattern as they opened their books. Once they created the structure, they had the pleasure, and “reward” of adding their own colorful content to their books, using magazines, images, text, origami paper, and more.
A self-expressive, creative time was had by all.
A great kick-off session for the Teen Council, and a pleasure for myself and Roya!
A group of makers from Tierra Del Sol visited the Sunland-Tujunga Library, and participated in a flag bookmaking workshop as part of my artist residency there, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
It was an honor to work with these participants!
Continuing my 2019-20 Artist Residency at the Sunland-Tujunga Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, I led a Bookmaking program, for teens, the winning, fun, wild and versatile Flag Book!
In addition to teens, families attended as well, and learned to fold an accordion spine, attach covers to it, and add the flag pages to create a pattern that created all kinds of options for text and visuals.
Color choices are one of the first ways the young makers express themselves.
Students from the nearby Verdugo Hills High School shared that the artmaking was a welcome break from academic pressures.
Great use of magazine text and letters.
Celebrating “STEAM VHHS” (STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking, VHHS is Verdugo Hills High School).
So glad the Arts are in there! All of these disciplines must work together if we are to move ahead in this World!
A workshop designed for teens turned into a family and community affair, at the Granada Hills Branch Library.
As part of my Artist Residency at the Library, supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, we held a Flag Bookmaking program with a Manga comics theme. In addition to teens, families and makers of all ages attended, creating wild and wonderful “Manga” Flag Books!
Father and son work closely together, collaborating on a radiant red book.
This brilliant young maker was amused to realize that he was using the same colors in his very cool book as he was wearing!
Sister and brother work side by side. Getting along…in the moment of making.
This wonderful woman has a attended numerous workshops, and is becoming quite the bookmaker!
Three unrelated generations of makers, working together in an atmosphere of collective creativity.
A mother with her two daughters takes advantage of Library offerings.
Makers’ hands.
A measured smile from a teen assistant and maker…using color to tell as story in her book.
Using the popularity of Manga and the arresting structure of the flag book as a means of engagement, participants worked together as a community on their individual projects, learning, enjoying and sharing all at the same time.
Does it get any better than that?