Debra Disman

Artist

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Collaboration

EXHIBITIONISTA: BRAND 53: National Juried Show of Works on Paper

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I am thrilled to have my artists’ book, “THIN ICE” made in collaboration with artist Luciana Abait, shown in Brand 53: Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper

Opening Date: July 19, 2025 

The Associates of Brand Library & Art Center in Glendale, California host its 53rd Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper this summer. All works in the show will be on view in the beautiful Brand Library’s Gallery and in both printed and online exhibition catalogs. 

This year’s juror, Sigrid Burton, considers color and drawing as the foundation of her artistic practice and is noted for her works in oil on canvas or linen and mixed media on paper. She explores the natural world both literally and figuratively, with the intention of making light and depth tangible and visible on a two-dimensional picture plane. Burton captures the phenomenological occurrence of reflection and refraction of light, in particular, water, sky and deep space. Her studies of the art of the Indian subcontinent and its ancient and sophisticated aesthetic theory have influenced her thinking that the importance of a work of art is the response that the work evokes from the viewer. Within this context, color is understood to have great expressive and communicative power.

 

Surface Design Association Instagram “Take-over”!

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The weekend of November 29-December 1 I had the pleasure, the honor and the fun of “taking over” (collaborating with) the Instagram account of the beloved  Surface Design Association or “SDA”, as it is commonly known.

It was so much fun, rewarding and delightful to get responses from and connections to many artists and makers I was not yet aware of, and peruse their beautiful and innovative work.

Thank you SDA, for this lovely opportunity, and for All you do for All of us.

Here are some of my posts (sans videos):
(You can see the whole collaboration, as well as continually added works on the SDA Instagram as well as my own)

Hello and a happy holiday weekend to All. I have the privilege of collaborating with the @surface_design this weekend, an organization I am thrilled to be a part of. SDA offers community, connection, education and wonderful opportunities. I have had the pleasure of participating in several SDA exhibitions, and I am honored to be in the company of other SDA artist members showing around the country! Thank you SDA, for all you do for all of us.

“LA Foret I, II and III” Adding complexity with each piece, as a stand alone, and components of a whole. They are made from hundreds of pieces of cord, glued to a raw canvas surface, painted on the reverse, and hanging at a slight remove from the wall.


(a different image of this piece is on Instagram)
“KnoW Safe Place”, 2023, 60 x 48 x 48″, canvas, hemp/nylon/cotton cord, lace, netting, lace, ribbon, acrylic paint, wood, archival adhesive.  Is there no safe place?  Do we ever know safe space?

“The Body Politic: Like White on White”, 2024, 9x16x7
book board, hemp, canvas, hemp/assorted cord, trim, acrylic paint, archival pva
Three dimensions reaching into three dimensions.


A treasured part of my practice is sharing the wealth as a teaching artist across LA County. I teach bookmaking and more in libraries, schools, museums and other venues. I value these collaborations with others such as librarians, whose expertise I respect and learn from! Thank you to the @culture_la and others for the opportunities you afford teaching artists in all disciplines.

Studio shot from the back by André Smits 
@artistintheworld713


Girrrrl powerFUL students from my “Making Art Inspired By Great Artists” class…creating their own textile hangings inspired by Faith Ringgold‘s extraordinary Story Quilts. Age range 1-5th grade, quite a range, and so talented.


It has been an honor to collaborate with the @surface_design over the past three days, and thank you, SDA for inviting me to do so. I leave you with “The Body Politic: Black and Gold“, 2024, 8.5 x 23 x 7”, made of book board, canvas, cord, netting, lace, trim, metallic leaf and beads. A book-inspired object that references the body as well as adornment and asks is what is precious; which can be presented in multiple states of open and closed; hints and glints at secrets, yet contains nothing on its pages except that which we project. Wishing all a healthy and peaceful holiday and strength for the New Year.

“Adapting through Curiosity and Connection with Debra Disman”: My Podcast with Alyson B. Stanfield/Art Biz Success!

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I was thrilled to have this conversation with the one and only Alyson B. Stanfield of Art Biz Success, someone I have admired and followed for a long time!
Some of the points we cover:

“In this episode of The Art Biz, Debra shares her journey, revealing how she has navigated this transition with resilience.

Throughout our conversation, several key themes emerge:

  • Debra’s fierce curiosity that drives her to explore and understand her surroundings.
  • Her drive to pursue new opportunities, no matter the obstacles.
  • The critical role of networking and the connections she’s made along the way.
  • The power of making consistent progress, even through small, daily actions.
  • The importance of staying adaptable in an ever-changing world.”

Please click the link below to hear, see and read about our conversation. I hope it holds some gold for YOU.
“Adapting through Curiosity and Connection with Debra Disman” (ep. 202)
PODCAST with Alyson B. Stanfield/Art Biz Success
Listen to the PODCAST

“Adapting through Curiosity and Connection with Debra Disman”: My Podcast with Alyson B. Stanfield/Art Biz Success!

By

I was thrilled to have this conversation with the one and only Alyson B. Stanfield of Art Biz Success, someone I have admired and followed for a long time!
Some of the points we cover:

“In this episode of The Art Biz, Debra shares her journey, revealing how she has navigated this transition with resilience.

Throughout our conversation, several key themes emerge:

  • Debra’s fierce curiosity that drives her to explore and understand her surroundings.
  • Her drive to pursue new opportunities, no matter the obstacles.
  • The critical role of networking and the connections she’s made along the way.
  • The power of making consistent progress, even through small, daily actions.
  • The importance of staying adaptable in an ever-changing world.”

Please click the link below to hear, see and read about our conversation. I hope it holds some gold for YOU.

Adapting through Curiosity and Connection with Debra Disman (ep. 202)

INTERPLAY of Texture, Color, Form and Materials

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INTERPLAY, the Surface Design Association exhibition at the The Dairy Barn Arts Center’s O’Bleness Gallery

I am thrilled to participate in INTERPLAY, organized by the SDA!
(The awesome Surface Design Association!)
Presented at the The Dairy Barn Arts Center’s O’Bleness Gallery
8000 Dairy Lane
Athens, OH 45701
June 28 – September 5, 2024
Opening Reception:
June 28, 6 – 8PM
I am showing:
“Rent Wound Tear, Mend Heal Repair”
64 x 68 x .5″, (variable), canvas, paint, hemp cord, string, lace

SEE THE SHOW HERE!

Interplay presents works that explore parallels, synergies, or tensions between two or more ideas. Artworks may examine connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, map relationships between maker and materials, or reflect interactions between maker and tools. Works employ traditional, interdisciplinary, or collaborative methodologies.

Honoring the diverse range of approaches within fiber art and highlighting the rich tapestry of multicultural links, Interplay looks toward a future informed by the past, bringing together ideas for fresh reflection, reinterpretation, and deeper understanding.

Juror:
Due to her inimitable curiosity, Annet Couwenberg has pursued the ongoing conversations between traditional textile production and digital technologies throughout her art and teaching career. Couwenberg’s art, informed by her early work in the fashion industry, is diverse and includes sculptural forms and jacquard weavings as well as work with fish fossils and skeletons inspired by her study with a fish scientist as a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow at the National Museum of Natural History. Couwenberg’s interdisciplinary work has demonstrated her capacity to create new realms. As a researcher of both traditional textiles and emerging techniques, she embraces a multi-directional knowledge exchange between new and established, creating art that visualizes methodologies to protect and preserve traditional practices while also expanding upon them. Born in The Netherlands, Couwenberg moved to the United States to receive MFA degrees at Syracuse University and Cranbrook Academy of Art. She has worked internationally, including in Korea, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Poland, and The Netherlands.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 31, 2PM ET for the Interplay Textile Talk and be on the lookout for our online gallery –  links coming soon!

SEE THE SHOW
LISTEN TO AND VEIW THE Interplay: Limitless Connection TEXTILE TALK

Interplay: Limitless Connections
Surface Design Association

THIS TEXTILE TALK
Join us as we celebrate three exhibitions highlighting the very best contemporary fiber art. We’ll hear from Interplay award winners Lyndsi Schuesler and Ji Young Kim, along with exhibition juror Annet Couwenberg. Interplay honors the diverse range of approaches within fiber art and looks toward a future informed by the past while bringing together ideas for fresh reflection, reinterpretation, and deeper understanding. Held in conjunction with Interplay, Echoes: A Solo Exhibition by Rena Wood pays tribute to textile histories and past makers. Rena will give us an inside look into the ways she imagines repetitive hand work and its connection to time. Moderated by Nora McGinnis, Interplay: Limitless Connections features artists who encourage us to think in new ways while also honoring tradition.

 

EXHIBITIONISTA: INTERPLAY with the SDA

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I am thrilled to participate in INTERPLAY, organized by the SDA!
(The awesome Surface Design Association!)
Presented at the The Dairy Barn Arts Center’s O’Bleness Gallery
8000 Dairy Lane
Athens, OH 45701
June 28 - September 5, 2024
Opening Reception:
June 28, 6 - 8PM

SEE THE SHOW HERE!

Interplay presents works that explore parallels, synergies, or tensions between two or more ideas. Artworks may examine connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, map relationships between maker and materials, or reflect interactions between maker and tools. Works employ traditional, interdisciplinary, or collaborative methodologies.

Honoring the diverse range of approaches within fiber art and highlighting the rich tapestry of multicultural links, Interplay looks toward a future informed by the past, bringing together ideas for fresh reflection, reinterpretation, and deeper understanding.

JUROR

Due to her inimitable curiosity, Annet Couwenberg has pursued the ongoing conversations between traditional textile production and digital technologies throughout her art and teaching career. Couwenberg’s art, informed by her early work in the fashion industry, is diverse and includes sculptural forms and jacquard weavings as well as work with fish fossils and skeletons inspired by her study with a fish scientist as a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow at the National Museum of Natural History. Couwenberg’s interdisciplinary work has demonstrated her capacity to create new realms. As a researcher of both traditional textiles and emerging techniques, she embraces a multi-directional knowledge exchange between new and established, creating art that visualizes methodologies to protect and preserve traditional practices while also expanding upon them. Born in The Netherlands, Couwenberg moved to the United States to receive MFA degrees at Syracuse University and Cranbrook Academy of Art. She has worked internationally, including in Korea, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Poland, and The Netherlands.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 31, 2PM ET for the Interplay Textile Talk and be on the lookout for our online gallery -  links coming soon!