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Debra Disman

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“WE Write the Book”: “Storybook Theater” Bookmaking at the Northridge Branch Library!

November 7, 2025 By Debra Disman

 

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

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

On October 18, 2025,  participants of a diverse ages and backgrounds gathered to learn how to create the “Storybook Theater” structure, which integrates books, stories and theater into one delightful form. A bit more advanced, this bookmaking process challenged our participants in a fun and engaging way, opening their minds and imaginations to greater bookmaking possibilities!


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

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, Artists' Books, LIBRARIES, Student Work, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER, Textiles/Fiber/Cloth, Venues Tagged With: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Artists, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books, Books made by Hand, Community, Community Artmaking, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, drama, Families Making Books, FAMILY ARTMAKING, Family arts workshops, Family Bookmaking, Flag Book, Flag pages, Folded and glues books, Handmade Books, Intergenerational Arts workshops, LAPL, Librarians, libraries, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, Media, mixed media books, NEAR, NEAR Residency, Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency, Northridge, Northridge Branch Library, Paper Engineering, San Fernando Valley, Story, Storybook Theater, Storymaking, Student Work, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER, Textiles/Fiber/Cloth, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, Venues

“We Write the Book”: Making TUNNEL BOOKS at the Northridge Library!

October 12, 2025 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to serve again as a 2025-26 “NEAR” Artist in Residence at the Northridge Branch Library!
This Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) is supported by the wonderful City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

On October 6th, 2025,  participants of a diverse ages and backgrounds gathered to learn how to create the TUNNEL BOOK, a three-dimensional story which moves back in space, and joyfully develop them into fanciful, whimsical and fantastical works of art.

All workshops FREE to the Public, All materials and supplies included!
JOIN US!

 

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, Artists' Books, LIBRARIES, Student Work, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER Tagged With: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Artists, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books, Books made by Hand, Community, Community Artmaking, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Families Making Books, Family arts workshops, Family Bookmaking, folded and glued book, Handmade Books, Intergenerational Arts workshops, LAPL, Librarians, libraries, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, Media, mixed media books, NEAR, NEAR Residency, Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency, Northridge, Northridge Branch Library, Paper Engineering, San Fernando Valley, Storymaking, Student Work, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER, Textiles/Fiber/Cloth, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, Three-dimensional Story, Three-dimensional Storytelling, TUNNEL BOOK, Venues

“WE Write the Book”: Making Flag Books at the Northridge Branch Library!

October 8, 2025 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to serve again as a 2025-26 “NEAR” Artist in Residence at the Northridge Branch Library!
This Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) is supported by the wonderful City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

On September 27th, 2025,  participants of a diverse ages and backgrounds gathered to learn how to create the accordion fold book, create one and two cut pop-ups, and joyfully develop their books into fanciful, whimsical and fantastical works of art.

  

    

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, BOOKS, LIBRARIES, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER, Work Tagged With: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Artists, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books, Books made by Hand, Community, Community Artmaking, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Families Making Books, Family arts workshops, Family Bookmaking, Flag Book, Flag pages, Folded and glues books, Handmade Books, Intergenerational Arts workshops, LAPL, Librarians, libraries, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, Media, mixed media books, NEAR, NEAR Residency, Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency, Northridge, Northridge Branch Library, Paper Engineering, San Fernando Valley, Storymaking, Student Work, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER, Textiles/Fiber/Cloth, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, Venues, Work Tagged With: art-making workshops for families

“We Write the Book” Bookmaking series kicks off at the Northridge Library September 13th!

August 25, 2025 By Debra Disman

“We Write the Book” “Kick-off” Workshop at the Northridge Library!

Our kick-off “We Write the Book” 2025 workshop at the Northridge Library is happening Saturday September 13th!
JOIN US!

I am thrilled to “kick-off” my “We Write The Book”  Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR)artist residency at the Northridge Public Library supported by the  Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs .


We will be learning the accordion fold as well as one and two-cut pop-ups and how to reinforce our books with “double covers”.

All ages and levels of experience welcome!


JOIN US!

I am honored to be serving the City of Los Angeles again through the DCA.

Our workshops are completely free to community with  all materials and refreshments included, supported by the  City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Tagged With: Accordion, Accordion Book Structure, Accordion Fold Book, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Artists, Book, Book as Art, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books, Books made by Hand, Community, Community Artmaking, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, concertina, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Families Making Books, Family Bookmaking, Folded and glues books, Handmade Books, Intergenerational Arts workshops, LAPL, Librarians, libraries, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, mixed media books, NEAR, NEAR Residency, Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency, Northridge, Northridge Branch Library, Paper Engineering, Pop-up Books, Presentations, San Fernando Valley, Storymaking, Student Work, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER, Textiles/Fiber/Cloth, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, Venues, Work Tagged With: art-making workshops for families

In Reflection: “Three Sisters And Their Mother” and more

February 5, 2024 By Debra Disman

I was thrilled to have a solo exhibition last winter at ReflectSpace Gallery, part of Glendale Arts and Culture, in the Glendale Central Library which opened Saturday January 28th and was on view through March 19,2023.
The show, a dream come true that I did not even know I  had, was curated by the wonderful Ara and Anahid Oshagan of The City of Glendale and founders of the gallery..

I was fortunate to have master photographer Gene Ogami document the show.

I share here two images featuring a work entitled, “Three Sisters And Their Mother”, which  engages a concept and presentation I am still exploring.

“Three Sisters and Their Mother” (2022),  made of canvas, acrylic paint, hemp cord, sunlight and gravity, is approximately 30” x 72”. Its dimensions are variable depending on how it is installed, the intervals of space between the components or sections, the way its ever-tangling cord/string wanders across each section, how high or low to the ceiling or the floor it is positioned, and how much in relief from the wall it is hung. As Eva Hesse once said about a work or works of hers… Can it be different every time…? (paraphrase). Naomi Spector writes beautifully about these ideas as regards to Hesse’s work.

Also pictured are: (below and clockwise from “Three Sisters And Their Mother”)
“I Can’t I Won’t I Will I Do”, (The titular work in the show), 2022,13 x 71.5”, repurposed table runner, acrylic paint, linen thread
“Finally”, (can hang on wall in slight relief), 2022, 48 x 19.5”, canvas, lace, hemp cord, sewing thread
“Excavation of the Interior”, 2021, 12″ x 28″ x 12.5″, wood, mulberry paper, canvas, muslin, watercolor paper, hemp cord, linen thread
Our human connections, gossamer though they may seem, form a tangled web that is always changing, and in some ways unfathomable, but there and always mysterious.

 

Filed Under: Exhibitions, New Work, Presentations, TEXTILE/FIBER, Work Tagged With: "Excavation of the Interior", "Finally", "I Can't I Won't I Will I Do", "Tree Sisters and Thier Monther", abstract, abstraction, Anahid Oshagan, Ara Oshagan, Book Festival, BOOK WORKS, Bookmakiing Workshops, Books, City of Glendale, Cord, Curators Ara Oshagan and  Anahid Oshagan, Director of Glendale Library Arts and Culture Gary Shaffer, Eva Hesse, Fiber, Fiber Art, Frida Cano, Gene Ogami, Glendale Arts and Culture, Glendale Central Library, Glendale Library Arts and Culture, Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian, Handmade Books, Hangings, Jennifer Remenchick, Laurey Bennett-Levy, Mark Henry Samuel, Michelle Robinson, Naomi Spector, Rebecca Youseff, RefectSpaceGallery, Senator Anthony L. Portantino, series, Solo Exhibition, Solo Show, Stacie B. London, String, Suzanne Voss, Tapestry, Textile, Textile Art, Textiles, triptych

“I Can’t I Won’t I Will I Do”, Revisited

November 24, 2023 By Debra Disman

Gene Ogami photographs

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, Exhibitions, Presentations, TEXTILE/FIBER, Women Artists, Work Tagged With: Anahid Oshagan, Ara Oshagan, Books, City of Glendale, Curators Ara Oshagan and  Anahid Oshagan, Exhibition design, Fiber, Fiber Art, Frida Cano, Gallery show, Gallery sow, Gene Ogami, Glendale Arts and Culture, Glendale Central Library, Glendale Library Arts and Culture, Handmade Books, Mark Henry Samuel, RefectSpaceGallery, Solo Exhibition, Solo Show, Stacie B. London, Textile Art, Textiles

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