Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles
Making Journals at the Granada Hills Branch Library
It was a pleasure to lead a “journal-making” workshop/program at the Granada Hills Branch Library as part of my Artist Residency there, supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Who knew creating a journal, traditionally a place to record daily thoughts, ideas, activities, fears, concerns, dreams and wishes would be so salient?
Families joined together to learn how to fold a “signature” (gathering of folded pages),
glue cover and spine boards to white-prepped canvas to create the book structure and “house” the pages,
then sew the signature into the book through the spine using durable, earthy hemp cord.
Having exerted this labor to create their book structure, participants had the glorious pleasure of developing and embellishing their journals with decorative papers, washi tape, markers, beads, and other collage materials. The canvas book covering, functioning as a book cloth is a wonderful surface for painting, stamping, printmaking, stenciling and any other wet or dry media.
May journaling help all and any through this very difficult time we are in.
Journal on!
Feeding our Souls: Making Recipe Books at the Granada Hills Branch Library
From the Outside In: Artist Residency Culmination at the Sunland-Tujunga Library
I have been honored to be an Artist-in-Residence at the Sunland-Tujunga Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, conducting a series of bookmaking workshops for the community. As part of this Residency, I conducted two workshops at Verdugo Hills High School, for Freshman VAPA (Visual and Performing Arts Magnet) students.
I taught the fun and fascinating flag book structure, and the stellar English VAPA teacher Mrs. Leserman worked with the students in class between the workshops to develop their books.
To connect the project with her VAPA English Curriculum which included the study of J.D. Salinger‘s Catcher in the Rye, she had the students develop the outsides of their books to reflect the ways they felt they were being seen, and how they wanted to be seen by the outside world, and then directed them to develop the inside flag pages to express how they actually felt on the inside.
On February 15th, we held a Residency Culmination event at the Library, featuring the VAPA students OUTSIDE-INSIDE flag books. Viewers were intrigued and moved to see these revelatory books, which shared so much about their makers. Expressive, brave, unique,m beautiful, these works offer a glimpse into what it is to be a freshman in High School today.
Bravo.
Indeed.
Sunland-Tujunga: Artist Residency Culmination Event!
I have been honored to be an Artist-in-Residence at the Sunland-Tujunga Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, conducting a series of bookmaking workshops for the community. As part of this Residency, I conducted two workshops at Verdugo Hills High School, for Freshman VAPA (Visual and Performing Arts Magnet) English students.
On February 15th, we held a Residency Culmination event at the Library, complete with bookmaking activities, refreshments, and an exhibition of hand-made books created by adults participating in the Library’s “Wide Open Reading” group, and VAPA students.
We had a blast!
Three bookmaking projects were running in the Community Room.
Mother and Daughter work side by side.
A member of the Library’s “Wide Open Reading” group stands by her handmade book.
Patiently creating detail with tiny butterfly shapes.
Another Mom and Daughter team…artists working together.
Young adult artist proudly shares her creations.
Young artist from the VAPA (Visual and Performing Arts) magnet at neighboring Verdugo Hills High School and her flag book created in a two workshop series held in her freshman VAPA English class. The books contrasted how students wanted to present themselves and how they felt they were perceived on the outside (exterior book covers) with how they feel on the inside- the flag pages).
It has been very moving to see makers create and share works which reveal them on various levels.
Gratitudes!
From the Inside Out
I have been honored to be an Artist-in-Residence at the Sunland-Tujunga Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, conducting a series of bookmaking workshops for the community. As part of this Residency, I conducted two workshops at Verdugo Hills High School, for Freshman VAPA (Visual and Performing Arts Magnet) students.
I taught the flag book structure, and the stellar English VAPA teacher Mrs. Leserman worked with the students in class between the workshops to develop their books.
To connect the project with her VAPA English Curriculum which included the study of J.D. Salinger‘s Catcher in the Rye, she had the students develop the outsides of their books to reflect the ways they felt they were being seen, and how they wanted to be seen by the outside world, and then directed them to develop the inside flag pages to express how they actually felt on the inside.
The results were both moving and stunning.