Deb Dormody most recently served for over seven years as the Deputy Director for the Artist Communities Alliance – an international association providing services to the artist residency field – where she directed operational practices and policies to support the organization’s strategic initiatives and equitable values. As the Cultural Affairs Manager for the City of Providence, she acted as the liaison to the city’s arts and cultural community. Deb is a professional bookbinder whose work has been featured in American Craft, HGTV, Handmade Nation, among others. She has presented seminars on practical techniques for independent artists to sustain businesses at venues including Fuller Craft Museum, Rhode Island School of Design, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Maine College of Art, National Arts Marketing Project, AIGA, and the Craft Congress. Deb is currently a mentor for the Interlace Grant Writing Mentorship Program for Emerging and Mid-Career Visual Artists; was previously appointed as co-chair of the Dirt Palace Public Projects board of directors – an intersectional feminist art space and residency program; and is a former co-owner of Craftland – a shop showcasing work by independent artists. Deb understands the role of collaboration and networks in sparking collective change, and is invested in mending the historic distribution of power and resources in the arts.
“As a bookbinder and arts administrator, I am thrilled to join with CERF+ toward disaster preparedness and prevention so that fellow artists may sustain fulfilling careers. I am particularly eager to participate in CERF+’s efforts to reach artists who work outside traditional contexts or who have been systematically marginalized, by making resources more visible, sharing tools for resiliency, and building strong networks. This is a critical time for responsive change and I’m grateful to serve!”