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Shoebox Arts

Online Book Making Workshop: Learn the “Folded Fan” Structure with Debra Disman

August 8, 2025 By Debra Disman

JOIN US!

Debra Disman and Shoebox Arts Present:


FREE Online Book Making Workshop: Learn the “Folded Fan” Structure with Debra Disman!

Calling all artists! Join us for an exciting FREE online bookmaking workshop where you’ll learn to create beautiful, versatile books using the innovative “Folded Fan” structure

Workshop Details:

What: Making Books Together: The “Folded Fan” Bookmaking Structure

When: August 27th at 11am PST

Instructor Debra Disman
Host: Shoebox Arts

Format: Live online workshop via Zoom

Cost: Completely FREE for all artists

Registration: Sign up using our Google form (link below)

Zoom Access: Participants will receive the Zoom link one day before the workshop

What You’ll Learn

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll discover the joy of creating the “Folded Fan” bookmaking structure—Debra’s own innovative take on the traditional Flag Book form. This versatile and sculptural book requires no hole punching or sewing, making it perfect for artists of all skill levels.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Create the foundational folded and glued structure

  • Display your book in multiple creative ways

  • Transform the sculptural form into a familiar codex format

  • Explore various presentation methods and artistic possibilities 

Debra will also share examples from her own extensive body of work, showing how she has used this structure to create numerous compelling book pieces.

What You Need

The beauty of this workshop is its accessibility—you can literally create this structure using just 4 pieces of standard 8.5 x 11″ copier paper! However, for the best results, Debra recommends having these materials on hand:

Essential Tools

  • Scissors (or just use folding and tearing techniques!)

  • Glue stick

  • Pencil

  • Bone folder (optional—you can use your glue stick as a folding tool)

Recommended Materials

  • Accordion Spine: One 11 x 17″ tag board or cardstock sheet

  • Covers: Two 8.5 x 5.5″ pieces of railroad board or similar cardboard

  • Pages: Three 8.5 x 5.5″ pieces (or slightly smaller at 5.25″ for easier handling)

Choose your own colors and get creative with your material choices!

Optional Enhancement Materials

  • Scrap paper and easy-to-glue fabric

  • Washi tape, decorative tapes, stickers, ribbon

  • Ephemera: old letters, cards, ticket stubs, journal pages, and other meaningful materials

Why This Workshop?

The “Folded Fan” structure is incredibly versatile and forgiving, making it an ideal entry point for new bookmakers while offering endless creative possibilities for experienced artists. Whether you’re interested in creating artist books, journals, display pieces, or sculptural works, this foundational technique will open up new avenues for your artistic expression.

Ready to Join?

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Debra Disman and connect with fellow artists in our supportive online community. Spaces are limited, so register today!

Sign up here using our Google form

Remember: You’ll receive your Zoom link the day before the workshop, so keep an eye on your inbox!

We can’t wait to see what beautiful books you’ll create. Happy making

Questions about the workshop? Feel free to reach out to Shoebox Arts for more information. shoeboxartsla@gmail.com

 

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Student Work, Teaching Artist, TEXTILE/FIBER, Textiles/Fiber/Cloth, Work Tagged With: Accordion Fold, Accordion-folded spine, BOOK STRUCTURE, Bookmaking, bookmaking for artists, Flag Book, floded fan book, Free onliine bookmaking workshop, Handmade Books, Kristine Shomaker, Making Books Together, Online Bookmaking Workshop, Shoebox, Shoebox Arts

Online Book Making Workshop: Learn the “Folded Fan” Structure with Debra Disman

August 7, 2025 By Debra Disman

DEBRA DISMAN AND SHOEBOX ARTS PRESENT:


FREE Online Book Making Workshop: Learn the “Folded Fan” Structure with Debra Disman!

Calling all artists! Join us for an exciting FREE online bookmaking workshop where you’ll learn to create beautiful, versatile books using the innovative “Folded Fan” structure

Workshop Details:

What: Making Books Together: The “Folded Fan” Bookmaking Structure

When: August 27th at 11am PST

Instructor Debra Disman
Host: Shoebox Arts

Format: Live online workshop via Zoom

Cost: Completely FREE for all artists

Registration: Sign up using our Google form (link below)

Zoom Access: Participants will receive the Zoom link one day before the workshop

What You’ll Learn

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll discover the joy of creating the “Folded Fan” bookmaking structure—Debra’s own innovative take on the traditional Flag Book form. This versatile and sculptural book requires no hole punching or sewing, making it perfect for artists of all skill levels.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Create the foundational folded and glued structure

  • Display your book in multiple creative ways

  • Transform the sculptural form into a familiar codex format

  • Explore various presentation methods and artistic possibilities 

Debra will also share examples from her own extensive body of work, showing how she has used this structure to create numerous compelling book pieces.

What You Need

The beauty of this workshop is its accessibility—you can literally create this structure using just 4 pieces of standard 8.5 x 11″ copier paper! However, for the best results, Debra recommends having these materials on hand:

Essential Tools

  • Scissors (or just use folding and tearing techniques!)

  • Glue stick

  • Pencil

  • Bone folder (optional—you can use your glue stick as a folding tool)

Recommended Materials

  • Accordion Spine: One 11 x 17″ tag board or cardstock sheet

  • Covers: Two 8.5 x 5.5″ pieces of railroad board or similar cardboard

  • Pages: Three 8.5 x 5.5″ pieces (or slightly smaller at 5.25″ for easier handling)

Choose your own colors and get creative with your material choices!

Optional Enhancement Materials

  • Scrap paper and easy-to-glue fabric

  • Washi tape, decorative tapes, stickers, ribbon

  • Ephemera: old letters, cards, ticket stubs, journal pages, and other meaningful materials

Why This Workshop?

The “Folded Fan” structure is incredibly versatile and forgiving, making it an ideal entry point for new bookmakers while offering endless creative possibilities for experienced artists. Whether you’re interested in creating artist books, journals, display pieces, or sculptural works, this foundational technique will open up new avenues for your artistic expression.

Ready to Join?

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Debra Disman and connect with fellow artists in our supportive online community. Spaces are limited, so register today!

Sign up here using our Google form

Remember: You’ll receive your Zoom link the day before the workshop, so keep an eye on your inbox!

We can’t wait to see what beautiful books you’ll create. Happy making

Questions about the workshop? Feel free to reach out to Shoebox Arts for more information. shoeboxartsla@gmail.com

 

Tagged With: Accordion Fold, Accordion-folded spine, BOOK STRUCTURE, Bookmaking, bookmaking for artists, Flag Book, floded fan book, Free onliine bookmaking workshop, Handmade Books, Kristine Shomaker, Making Books Together, Online Bookmaking Workshop, Shoebox, Shoebox Arts

Candid Conversation with Kristine Schomaker!

July 24, 2025 By Debra Disman


“A Candid Conversation with artist Debra Disman: Art, Community, and the Beautiful Chaos of Creative Life“

 

I was honored to be:
Conversation with Kristine Shomaker
Founder and Director of Shoebox Arts

Please enjoy our conversation!

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Presentations, Publications/Interviews, Work Tagged With: Art and Cake, Art Business, Art World, Artmaking, Candid Conversation, Community, Community Support, Conversation, dialogue, I Ching, Kristine Schomaker, LA Art Community, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Art Community, Morning process, morning ritual, Morning Writing, Shoebox Arts, Substack, Support, Writing

Art Centers and the Like: The HeART of Art

September 2, 2024 By Debra Disman

Art and Cultural Centers are amazing places.

They are CENTERS. Centers of art and culture to be sure, but also centers of learning, personal and collective growth, education, care, community, cooperation and love.

Amazing to show in, but especially amazing in the services they provide, the opportunities they offer and the roles they play for their near and far communities.

I am going to explore these worthy and precious resources and entities in the next few posts, but firstly, I need to get my arms around them in a big, collective heARTfelt hug!

I will add to, or write further interactions of this post over time.  I would also like to write about Libraries, College and University Art Galleries and smaller galleries as exhibition spaces and hubs of community and world culture.

These are the art and cultural centers I have shown in over the last few years, essentially since 2018:
(I included some very special organizations such as Blue Roof Studios, Shoebox Arts and ArtShare LA in Los Angeles, CA, “We Are The Arts”/The Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County in Fayetteville, NC, the Hera Educational Foundation and Gallery in Wakefield RI, and the Springfield Art Association, in Springfield, IL, even though they don’t have the word “CENTER” in their monikers, as I believe they serve many of the same heART-FULL functions as those that do.)

18th Street Arts Center,  Santa Monica, CA

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA

Webster Arts, Webster Groves, MO

Intersect Arts Center, Saint Louis, MO

The Dairy Barn Arts Center O’Bleness Gallery, Athens, OH

Umpqua Valley Arts, Roseville, OR

 The Cultural Center of Cape Cod, South Yarmouth, MA

Springfield Art Association, Springfield, IL

The Korean Culture Center, Los Angeles, CA

“We Are The Arts”/The Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County, Fayetteville, NC

Artworks Center for Contemporary  Art, Loveland, CO

ArtShare LA, Los Angeles, CA

Shoebox Arts, Los Angeles, CA

Kelso Art Center, University of Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX

Tubac Center for the Arts, Tubac, AZ

Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA

The Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA
  
The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock, TX

Hera Educational Foundation and Gallery in Wakefield RI

Blue Roof Studios, Los Angeles, CA

San Francisco Center for the Book, San Francisco, CA

The Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminister, NJ

Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY

Brand Library and Art Center, Glendale, CA

The Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, MN;

Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO

Filed Under: ARTISTS, Exhibitions, Venues, Work Tagged With: 18th street art center, American Art Centers, Art Center, Art Center as Community, art centers, Art Centers in the US, Art Share, Arts at Blue Roof, Arts Council of Fayetteville, ARTWORKS Center For COntemporary Art, Artworks Loveland, blue roof, Brand Library and Art Center, Contemporary Art, Contemporary Artists, Contemporary Curators, Dairy Barn Arts Center, Foothills Art Center, Intersect Arts Center, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Korean Cultural Center, Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, O'hanlon, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Shoebox Arts, Shoebox Projects, Springfield Art Association, The Center for Contemporary Art, the Kelso Art Center, The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts  (LHUCA), The San Francisco Center for the Book, The Yeiser Art Center, Tubac Center of the Arts, Umpaqua Valley Arts, Webster Arts

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

Sharing Shows: Arizona, California, Texas

October 14, 2022 By Debra Disman


Excavation of the Interior, 2021, 12 x 28 x 12.5″ (wood, mulberry paper, hemp cord, canvas, muslin)

 


Chromatic Interactions: The Golden Thread, 2020, 76 x 90 x 1.5″, mixed media installation utilizing file cards written and drawn upon by Craft Contemporary Museum patrons participating in my commissioned interactive artists’ book project: Chromatic Interactions, (File cards, gold thread, pencil and crayon)

 


Rent Wound Tear, Mend Heal Repair, 2022, 64 x 68″ (dimensions variable), Triptych Installation, (canvas, acrylic paint, hemp cord, lace, string)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 2022 Exhbitions, Artist Book, Book as Sculpture, Exhibitions, FASA, Fiber, Fiber Artists of San Antonio, Fifty Years if Fiber, Group Shows, Handmade Book, Hangings, Sculptural Book, SDA: Southwest Regional Exhibition, Sharing Work, Shoebox Arts, Shoebox Projects, Shows, Surface Design Association, Tapestry, Telling Stories, Textiles, Tubac Center of the Arts

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