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Craft Contemporary

Create a STORYBOOK THEATER at Craft Contemporary

December 18, 2025 By Debra Disman

rts

Craft Lab: Make a Storybook Theatre with Debra Disman 

Craft Workshops, Family Programs

Become the author, illustrator, and set designer of your own imaginative world as you create a one-of-a-kind storybook theatre. This hands-on workshop invites participants to bring stories to life by combining books, storytelling, and theatrical elements with dramatic flair.

Using a variety of recycled paper materials, you’ll craft layered scenes, characters, and settings that transform the page into a miniature stage.

Recommended for ages 7 and up. All adults and children ages 3 and up must have a ticket to participate.

Craft Lab Family Workshop:

Make a Storybook Theatre with Debra Disman

Sun, Jan 11 | 1:30 – 3:30 PM

$10 public / members Free

REGISTER

 

Held in conjunction with the exhibition:

Material Curiosity by Design: Evelyn & Jerome Ackerman

 

Tagged With: Art Museum Classes, author, Book, book a, Contemporary, Craft, Craft Contemporary, Craft Contemporary Museum, Craft Museum, Craft Workshops, Creativity, Evelyn & Jerome Ackerman, Evelyn Ackerman, EXHBITION, Family Programs, illustrator, Imagination, jerome Ackerman, KATE ZANKOWICZ, Material Curiosity, Museum, Museum Education, puppets, set designer, Story, Storybook Theater, The Ackermans, theater

Craft Contemporary 2025 GALA

June 8, 2025 By Debra Disman

Some moments of the 2025 Craft Contemporary GALA!
For Your Viewing Pleasure!

Before, in the courtyard

The auction room second floor gallery, our piece, “drift” (myself and Luciana Abait)

      

Carrie’s piece

Ahree’ piece

Rosie

Alma

David

Frida’s husband Mick  (in my Monm’s vest!) (Luis behind)

Andres

Auction

Alba


Liberty and Jay Worth, Victoria May in mask

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Exhibitions, Presentations, TEXTILE/FIBER, Textiles/Fiber/Cloth, Venues, Work Tagged With: "drift", Accordion Book, Alba Francesca, Alma Ruiz, art Auction, Artist Book, Artists" Book, Craft, craft as art, Craft Contemporary, Craft Contemporary Museum, David Leitch, Debra Disman, Frida Cano, Gala, Jay Worth, KATE ZANKOWICZ, Liberty worth, louis jacinta, Luciana Abait, Mark H Samuel, Mick Lorusso, Support Craft Contemporary, Victoria May, Vielmetter

Showing (love) Around

July 9, 2024 By Debra Disman


We Are Doing It All Wrong, Edward A. Dixon Gallery, Dayton, OH, Juror/Curator: Ed Dixon:   “The exhibition is a challenge to artists and viewers to recognize, react and learn about the many ways humanity continually fails itself.  These issues are not always mainstream and sometimes are hidden.” Jurors: Ed Dixon/Stacy Kranitz/Judith L. Huacuja
See the SHOW!
See the VIDEO!

It is not only a joy to “show around” in group exhibitions at various venues around the country, it is a gratifying, enriching  experience,  and a heartwarming one at that, to discover, interact with and support so many inspiring and dedicated individuals,  organizations, endeavors, missions and visions. I meet new folks, but also “run into” friends and colleagues that “show up” in some of the same places: showing at some of the the same shows, sharing in some of the same artist talks and panels, featured in some of the same catalogues and publications. It is exciting to connect, and see both not only an overlap of interests materially and thematically, but also how we all approach things differently, and can learn from one another.

For example, I am currently showing at:
Word and Weft: Visualizing the Word, Webster Arts, Webster Groves, MO, Juror: Noriko Yuasa 

Women. Defining Our Representation, Black House Artist, Juror/Curator: Ellen Mattesi (online)  
We Are Doing It All Wrong, Edward A. Dixon Gallery, Dayton, OH, Jurors: Ed Dixon/Stacy Kranitz/Judith L. Huacuja 
Evidence of Joy, Intersect Arts Center, Saint Louis, MO, Curator: April Parvitz  

Soliloquy, presented by The Bridge Arts Foundation at The Scholarts Selection, San Gabriel, CA
Jurors: Charles Christopher Hill, Xin Song, Curator: Tia Xu  
Whisper, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR, Curator: Jennifer Gullia Cutshall  (catalogue)
Interplay, presented by the Surface Design Association at The Dairy Barn Arts Center O’Bleness Gallery, Athens, OH,  Juror: Annet Couwenberg
Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College Art Gallery, Rhinelander, WI, Juror: Debra Brehmer 

The Circular Ritual of Spring, BG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, Curator: Susan Lizotte (online)

And earlier this year:
Midway Marvels,ArtBarLA, Los Angeles, CA, Curator: Randi Matushevitz
Materiality Matters, Umpqua Valley Arts, Roseville, OR, Juror Panel: UVA Staff and Pacific NW professionals
Pulp: Book and Paper Arts, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA, Juror: Donna Seager
Fantastic Fibers 2024, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY, Juror: Sandro Tiberi, (catalogue) 
String Theory, The Cultural Center of Cape Cod, South Yarmouth, MA, Curator: Molly Demeulenaere  
Art of the Word, Sasse Museum of Art, Pomona, CA, Jurors: Fatemeh Burnes, Maurice Quillinan, Niamh Cunningham (catalogue)
By the Book,  Artopia Gallery, Arcadia, CA, Curator: Rosie Getz

Through this experience I am able to be exposed to and interact with :
Individuals: artists, curators, critics, collectors, gallery, museum, art center, library and academic/university directors/staff (on all different levels of responsibility and experience and in varying roles,  offices and positions)
Organizations: galleries, museums, art centers, universities/academic institutions, artist studios and alternative spaces (of different sizes, renown, reputation, influence and “status” in the “art world” and world at-large)

I plan to highlight and share about various of these individuals and entities over the next several posts. I will share particularly about Art Centers, which are an enormous source of vitality, creation, care and joy throughout the country and beyond. xxxooo

I begin with Gallerist Ed Dixon, in whose show We Are Doing It All Wrong I am honored to be in.  Presented at the Edward A. Dixon Galleryin Dayton, OH. Of the show says Owner/Curator: Ed Dixon:  “The exhibition is a challenge to artists and viewers to recognize, react and learn about the many ways humanity continually fails itself.  These issues are not always mainstream and sometimes are hidden.” The illustrious jurors Ed Dixon/Stacy Kranitz/Judith L. Huacuja hold a wealth of knowledge, expertise, care and passion among them in addition to many accomplishments.

In a time of such fraught difference, fear, and loathing, it is heartening and illuminating to see and be a part of all of these individuals and entities, making a difference. I have to feel that that all of our work, no matter what the outcome, does make a difference.

Thank you to You all.

 

 

 

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Exhibitions, MEDIA, New Work, Presentations, TEXTILE/FIBER, Women Artists, Work Tagged With: 18th Street Arts Center, American exhibitions, American shows, Annet Couwenberg, April Parvitz, art centers, Art of the Word, art vwnuwa, ArtBarLA, Artopia Gallery, bG Gallery, Black House Artist, Bridge Arts Foundation, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Charles Christopher Hill, Christopher Lloyd Tucker, Contemporary Art, Contemporary Artists, Craft Contemporary, curators, Debra Brehmer, Donna Seager, Ed Dixon, Edward A. Dixon Gallery, Ellen Mattesi, Exhbitions, exhibiting in the US, Fatemeh Burnes, galleries, Group Shows, Intersect Arts, January Arts, Jennifer Gillia Cutshall, Judith L. Huacuja, Juried Shows, jurists, Karina Bennett, libraries, Maurice Quillinan, Molly Demeulenaere, museums, Niamh Cunningham, Nicolet College Art Gallery, Noriko Yuasa, Randi Matushevitz, Rosie Getz, Sandro Tiberi, Sasse Museum of Art, Scholorarts Selection, SDA, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Shoebox Arts, Shoebox Projects, Shows, Stacy Kranitz, Surface Design Association, Susan Lizotte., The Brand Library and Art Center, The Cultural Center of Cape Cod, The Dairy Barn Arts Center O’Bleness Gallery, The Irvine Fine Arts Center, The Long Beach Museum of Art, The New Bedford Museum of Art, The Yeiser Art Center, Tia Xu, UCLA, Umpqua Valley Arts, universities, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Webster Arts, Xin Song

The Big Read in LA 2023 at Craft Contemporary!

June 18, 2023 By Debra Disman

In conjunction with this year’s NEA Big Read: Los Angeles, Craft Contemporary dedicated a very special Family Craft Lab workshop to celebrating the art of bookmaking in  Using gluing and folding techniques participants created their own flag books, a unique and sculptural book with moving parts. Inspired by this years Big Read novel, Interior Chinatown, by Charles Yu, attendees developed each flag “page” with symbols, words, patterns and images to tell a story about their identity and culture. Craft Lab is for all ages, everyone is welcome!


Fearless leader BILLIE RAE VINSON, Director of School and Family Programs, planned and promoted the program, and matched her clothes to our materials, and PRIDE Month!


She and her devoted volunteers prepared the materials for our flag book project.


I brought in my own flag book samples for inspiration.




There was something for everyone on the table,


including samples of “Interior Chinatown” and the graphic novel “American Born Chinese” , a tour-de-force by New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Gene Yang,


in specialized Big Read tote bags!


The wonderful Craft Contemporary volunteers were able to exert their maker energy along with the participants.


Families, individuals, old friends and new joined together to create, and


Love…Life.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: American Born Choinese, BILLIE RAE VINSON Director of School and Family Programs, Books made by Hand, CAFAM, Charles Yu, Community Artmaking, Community Craftmaking, Craft Contemporary, Craft Contemporary Museum, Craft lab, Cultural Identity, DCA, Elizabeth Morin, Family Craft Lab, Flag Book, FLAG BOOKMAKING, Folded and glued handmade books, Gene yang, Graphic Novel, Handmade Books, Hedi Kyle, IDENTITY, Interior Chinatown, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Making Books Together, Suzane Isken, Sydney Brundridge, The BIg Read, The Big Rread In LA

Crafty Craft Lab Tunnel Books at Craft Contemporary!!!

October 18, 2022 By Debra Disman

I was thrilled to lead a Tunnel Bookmaking  Craft Lab Family Workshop for one of my favorite venues in Los Angeles: Craft Contemporary.
The participants turned out fabulous, innovative and outstandingly creative projects!
Perla enjoyed the project!!!

 
Enjoy the participants’ enjoyment HERE!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Billie Vinson, Community Arts, Craft Contemporary, Craft lab, Debra Disman, Diorama, Family Craft Lab, Family Workshop, Folded and glued Books, Handmade Books, Lesley Saar, Making Books By Hand, Making Books Togehter, Museum Education, Teaching Artist, Three-dimensional Storytelling, TUNNEL BOOK, Tunnel Books

MAKERS’ NIGHT: CRAFT CONTEMPORARY!

June 11, 2022 By Debra Disman

 

Thursday,
July 7
Maker Night:
Bookmaking with
Debra Disman
6:00PM – 8:00PM
In-Person + Outdoors
$12 | Free for Members
REGISTER
Book artist Debra Disman will teach participants basic bookmaking techniques such as folding, paper punching, and sewing to create a side-bound handsewn book! Materials will be available to customize the front and back covers of your book. Cost of program includes materials and drinks.
Advanced RSVP is required. This workshop has limited capacity, so we advise participants to arrive early to secure a spot in the workshop.
Payment is due upon arrival.

Tagged With: Art and Craft Community Programs, ARTIST BOOKS, Book Arts, Bookmaking, Community Artmaking, Craft Contemporary, Craft Museum, Craft program, Crafting in Community, Handmade Books, Makers Night, Making Books Together

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