It was both moving and thrilling to complete my 2024-25 Artist Residency at the beautiful Northridge Branch Library .

This Neighborhood Engagment Artist Residency has been supported by the wonderful City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

I have been honored to serve as  artist-in-residence at the Northridge Branch Library, conducting bookmaking workshops and events for the local community and library patronage from February through May 31, 2025, on selected Wednesday afternoons, 3:30-5:00PM, and Saturdays 11:00am – 12:30PM

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

Attended by participants of all ages including families, I was thrilled to see the explosively colorful and exciting projects our participants created, and their joy in working in community. many of our participants have attended multiple workshops, and some of them have attended all of the bookmaking programs!

During our CULMINATION, participants shared and read from their handmade books, enjoyed refreshments, created a mini-travel journal and learned how do the “Turkish Map Fold” which they could then add to their books!
Turkish Map Fold incorporated into mini-travel journal!

Families enjoy bookmaking together, a blend of generations!

Participants help other participants.

Renata shares one of her amazing books!

A young boy’s dream, and I think we can see what it is!

Such a pleasure to see Ardem Tajerian again, with who I worked on my first Neighborhood Engagment Artist Residency supported by the  City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs back in 2017!

A table of committed bookmakers!

The work and the results.

Maps to add to the travel journal, ready for summer adventures!

It is never too  young to start bookmaking!

A first-time participant who joined our CULMINATION!

Creatively working hands create books.

Library staff get into the creative act.

Extraordinary book works created and shown…shared with the attending community by the participating artists who made them.

Materials galore!

Process yields results.

 
Outside

Inside

Tunnel Bookmaking taken to the max!

Words not to be forgotten…

Honoring women artists in celebration of International Women’s Day and Womens History Month, March 2025

  

An incredible expression of love and committment expressed through bookmaking for a ten-year anniversary, and shared during our “We Write the Book” CULMINATION event!