Women's history month

Celebrate Art and Poetry at these April Events!

April 2, 2021 By Debra Disman

I am culminating my 2020-21 artist residency programs with the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs with two bookmaking workshops and events at the West Valley Regional Branch Library, and the Panorama City Branch Library respectively.

Please join us for either or both of these FREE online community events! Materials and goody bag provided for those who sign up, and go to the Branch sites to pick them up.

Help us celebrate National Poetry Month and the culmination of two wonderful residency programs that were conducted entirely online! You will have the opportunity to create your own “Flag Book” and adding your own or other favorite poetry to it! Learn how to do “found writing” and express yourself through art and poetry without leaving the comfort of your own home. Details on the fliers below!!

ZOOM In On Distance Learning 7

March 26, 2021 By Debra Disman

As everyone keeps saying, 2020 was a year like no other. Well, no-one had seen 2021 yet.

2021 it seems, may also prove to be a year like no other, finding us teaching online, in my case through Zoom, engaging in what is called, “distance learning”. Well, you can’t beat the commute and clean-up time, and I found there are indeed ways to connect significantly with students and colleagues, and even teach some things!

In March 2021, I led an scroll making program in honor of Women’s History Month focused on Celebrating Women Artists, at the Panorama City Branch Library, part of my artist residency in bookmaking there, through the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

We looked at images and information about three great women artists, Faith Ringgold, Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe, and Branch Manager Roman shared some of Faith Ringgold‘s books from the Library!

Participants were invited to cut out the provided images of the artists, their work, and the information about them, and add them to sheets of brightly colored tag board paper, which they had attached to wooden sticks, or dowels at either end, to create unique scrolls.

Each maker created a different composition with the materials provided in our fun and informative supplies packets.

One young maker added painting to the surface, then his father added images honoring women artists to complete the scroll!

Scrolls could be horizontal or vertical, and rolled up at either end and then unfurled.

Ribbon was provided for participants to keep their rolled scrolls in place if they wished to.
Here Panorama City Branch Library Branch Manager Roman gets into the act!

An honoring of Women’s History Month, Women Artists, specific women artists, the Library, and especially, of human creativity, imagination and ingenuity!
SO needed, especially during this past year and into the current one.

Gratitudes!

Celebrate Womens’ History Month at the Panorama City Branch Library!

February 24, 2021 By Debra Disman

Join us online as the Panorama City Branch Library celebrates: Women’s History Month
and learn about women artists such as:
Frida Kahlo, Faith Ringgold and Georgia O’Keeffe!

Learn to make your own scroll with Panorama City Branch Library’s artist-in-residence Debra Disman!!!
Add images and information to your scroll about
Frida Kahlo, Faith Ringgold and Georgia O’Keeffe

Materials packets available!
Pick up a bag of craft supplies at the Panorama City Branch Library
Please call the library at 818-894-4071 to make a pick up appointment

Please email pnoram@lapl.org to get login information

For ALL AGES! Size is limited so call to register soon!

This program is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Celebrate Women Artists From Around the World for Women’s History Month!

March 6, 2020 By Debra Disman

Celebrate Women’s History Month by celebrating women artists with Debra Disman!

Create your own accordion fold book, and add images and information about great female artists from different times in history, as well as your own words and artwork.

Learn about bookmaking, women artists, and how to be creative, all at the same time!
This program is for kids and all ages

CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF SANTA MONICA BLACK COMMUNITY LEADER THELMA TERRY FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

February 23, 2020 By Debra Disman

IMAGE: The Terryettes Drill Team, formed by Mrs. Thelma Terry. Photo courtesy of the Quinn Research Center and The Terryettes.

Join us for a unique celebration, and community art project from noon to 1PM
CELEBRATING
Thelma Terry: Athlete, Educator, and Community Leader
A Women’s History Month Celebration
Saturday, March 7, 2020 | 10 AM – 1 PM
Virginia Avenue Park, Thelma Terry Building
2200 Virginia Ave, Santa Monica

“In observance of Women’s History Month, Virginia Avenue Park, 18th Street Arts Center, and the Quinn Research Center are teaming up to celebrate the life and work of Thelma Terry, a community leader with a lasting legacy around teen recreation, athletics, and arts education in the Pico Neighborhood of Santa Monica. Through her life’s work, Thelma Terry touched so many in the community, but has very little presence online or in the history books. Through the efforts of Quinn Research Center, researcher Sabrina Fields, Virginia Avenue Park, and 18th Street Arts Center, Terry will finally have a Wikipedia page that matches her profound influence in the community. The Quinn Research Center provided photos and historical information on Thelma Terry from their archives for this page, and 18th Street Arts Center was able to provide some first-hand oral history accounts from their culturemapping90404.org project. Through art-making, sharing stories, local history presentations, food, and more, the community will celebrate Thelma Terry’s legacy at the Thelma Terry Center on Saturday March 7, 2020 from 10am-1pm.

Nestled in Santa Monica’s Pico neighborhood, the Thelma Terry building is a recreation facility right in the heart of Virginia Avenue Park. The building is used primarily for community gathering activities: everything from baile folklorico rehearsals to rent control information sessions. Although the essence of these activities are in line with the legacy of Thelma Terry, only a few know about her influence in the Westside, specifically in Venice and Santa Monica.

The event on March 7th will feature a community art-making activity with Debra Disman, a presentation from Art+Feminism’s West Coast rep Stacey Allan, memories of Mrs. Terry from her contemporaries and students, and a call for more Santa Monicans to get involved in future Wikipedia-thons to record and write the histories of underrecognized women leaders of color in this community. For information or to get involved in a future Santa Monica-focused Wikipedia-thon, please email sbyank@18thstreet.org.”

Read FULL Press Release!

Felt, Fabric, Feathers, FUN: Celebrating Women Artists at the Will and Ariel Durant Branch Library

March 27, 2019 By Debra Disman

I was thrilled to lead an artmaking program at the Will and Ariel Durant Branch Library of the Los Angeles Public Library System to celebrate Women’s History Month, specifically Women Artists!

Inspired by the artist Faith Ringgold’s “Story Quilts”, participants including children, adults and families, used a glorious melange of soft materials (well, there were some buttons…) to create their own textile hangings, tapestries of sorts, learning about five very special women artists in the process.

Faith Ringgold of New York City, Yayoi Kusama of Japan, Liza Lou of Los Angeles, Frida Kahlo of Mexico, and Georgia O’Keeffe of New Mexico were presented and discussed, and participants incorporated images of the artists and their work into their projects. The creative juxtaposition of materials and images was thrilling…and inspiring.

Children’s Librarian Aida got into the act with Georgia O’Keeffe, one of her favorite artists.