Rotem Anna Diamant

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About and CV

Rotem (or Ro) is an artist and a librarian originally from Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg. Their artwork is inspired by fairy tales and folklore, monsters, and themes of identity, and their work is often personal, conveying memories and a lot of feelings.

In 2020 they moved out West with their partner, muppety dog, and many books.

Please contact them for freelance inquiries, proposals and collaboration projects!

Instagram: @rotemannadiamant

Studies

2015- 2017 Master’s degree, Library and Information Science, The University of Toronto

2011 – 2014 Bachelor of Arts, English Honours, The University of Winnipeg

Work

January 2022 – present – Librarian, Courthouse Libraries BC

Courthouse Libraries BC is a non-profit that provides legal information services to both the legal community and the public in British Columbia.

September 2021 – February 2022 – Library Technician, Camosun College

March 2018 – present – Founder, President (2018-2022), Project Administrator (2019-2022), and Librarian at Canada Comics Open Library.

I began working on CCOL in 2017, and in my role I have been in charge of: building a wonderful comics collection, forming our board, daily library operations, website content, web design and online resources, social media, development of our cataloguing approach, administrative duties, grant applications, donations, public communication and outreach, recruiting and training volunteers, creating procedures guides, steering the organization, events and programs, fundraising, project planning, artistic direction. To view more details about these roles visit my LinkedIn page.

November 2017 – present – Freelance Writing and Library Projects

September 2016 – September 2017 – Student Library Assistant at Media Commons, University of Toronto

September 2016 – September 2017 – Student Library Assistant at Eberhard Zeidler Library of Architecture, Landscape, and Design

March 2016 – December 2016 – Interim Librarian and Graduate Student Library Assistant at Innis College Library

Volunteer

February 2018 – present – Canada Comics Open Library

February 2018 – present – Created and maintain The Canadian Cartoonists Database

October 2017 – September 2019 – Zine Librarian and special projects at The Toronto Zine Library

June 2016 – August 2016 – Practicum, Cataloguing and Data Analysis at Toronto Tool Library

October 2015 – May 2017 – Treasurer, Librarians Without Borders, University of Toronto Student Chapter

2012 – 2013 – Studio Workshop Volunteer at Art City, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Professional Service

Juries and Selection Committee

2021 – Canada Comics Open Library, Comics Creator Residencies

2021 – Canada Comics Open Library, The Open Workshop for Comics Creators

2020 – Canada Comics Open Library, Comics Out Loud

2019 – Canada Comics Open Library, Comics Creator Residencies

2019 – Doug Wright Awards Judge

Collective Exhibition

September, 2012 – Graffiti Gallery’s Artist Mash Up at the Forks for Culture Days 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Live collaborative painting to create public artwork with a group of eight other artists.

June, 2009 – Pair Down and Buckle Up, a group show which explored women’s experiences during recessions, at Graffiti Gallery, 109 Higgins Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Art Fairs/ Markets

2022 – The Toronto Comic Arts Festival – Comics exhibitor – Online exhibitor

2021 – Virtual Canzine – Online Festival of Zines & Independent Print Culture – Online vendor

2021 – Art Gallery of Greater Victoria – Celebration of Art – Artist Guide

2021 – James Bay Community Market – Tabled with clay sculptures

2019 – The Toronto Comic Arts Festival – Zineland Terrace, Toronto – Tabled with zines and drawings

2018 – Canzine – Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto – Tabled with zines

2018 – Made by Feminists – Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, Toronto – Tabled with paintings, illustrations, zines, and handmade goods – Toronto

2018 – Framed by Feminists – Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, Toronto – Tabled with paintings, illustrations, zines, and handmade goods

Publications

2022 – “Hope and Comics”- Pasts, Presents, and Futures of Canadian Comics Spec. issue of Canadian Literature 249 (2022): 123-124.

2021 – “The founder of Canada Comics Open Library highlights four artists to watch”, Quill and Quire May issue

2019 – present – Canada Comics Open Library, blog author , admin writer, and editor

2018- present – Toronto Zine Library, volunteer blog author

2019 – “Gaters”, Call Out Comics 4

2016 – “Drawing Identity: Examining Graphic Autobiographies and Diaries as Subversive Archives for Surveillance and Construction of Identity”, the iJournal, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

2014 – Cover art and drawings published in Juice 14, University of Winnipeg Creative Writing Journal

Zines

2022 – Cute Nose #2, debuted at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival in June, 2022

2021 – Cute Nose #1, also available here! This review meant a lot to me:

“Truly brilliant mini comic making by Diamant, the work here feels like the ultra aesthetic approach to comics as a stage where anything can happen that you might see in early newspaper strips…but all of that is filtered through inky classic zine making aesthetics. The minute I saw these, I knew they needed to be in the Domino store, beautiful stuff.” – Domino Books

Cute Nose issue 1 was also reviewed thoughtfully in Broken Pencil Magazine; web version available to read over here: https://brokenpencil.com/reviews/cute-nose-1/

2019 – Named After Flowers

2018 – tumble gently, tumble home

2018 – Toronto Renting Adventures

2017 – Shop Girl

2017- Good Witch art zine

2009 – The Alphabet of Wicked Women

Please visit my online store to view recent projects.

Public Engagement

Conference Presentations

2021 – “Contemporary Small Presses and the Canada Comics Open Library” Pre-recorded session presentation, 80 Years and Beyond: A Virtual Symposium on Canadian Comics, hosted by the Society for the Promotion of Canadian Comics and Brescia University College – Zoom

2020 – “Building a Community Comics Library” Session presentation, OLA Super Conference – Dream Here – Metro Toronto Convention Centre

2019 – “Comics and Cartoonists in the Library” Paper presentation “Reading the Shelves: The Politics of Creating a Diverse Comics Library”, 2nd Annual Conference of the Comics Studies Society – COMICS/POLITICS – Ryerson University

2016 – “Drawing Identity: Examining Graphic Autobiographies and Diaries as Subversive Archives for Surveillance and Construction of Identity and Promoting Graphic Life Narratives in the Library” Paper presentation, presented on the panel “Recontextualization and Subversion in Children’s Literature”, Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education – University of British Columbia

2016 – “Women Drawing Identity: Graphic Autobiographies, Surveillance, and Power” Paper presentation, presented on the panel “Representing others”, Defying Conventions: Innovative Perspectives in the Information Field – iSchool Student Conference – University of Toronto

Events

2021 – Mini Comics Readings, Toronto Comic Arts Festival affiliate event hosted by Canada Comics Open Library, Zoom Webinar

2020 – 2021 – Comics Out Loud events, Canada Comics Open Library, Zoom Webinar

2019 – 2020 – Creators in Residence library events, Canada Comics Open Library

2018 – Canada Comics Open Library launch event, The519, pop-up library, panel, and workshops

Panels

2021 – “Canadian Comics Today”Panel, 80 Years and Beyond: A Virtual Symposium on Canadian Comics, hosted by the Society for the Promotion of Canadian Comics and Brescia University College – Zoom event

2020 – “Banned through Comics Metadata!?” Panel, Banned Books Week, American Library Association – Zoom Webinar

2019 – “Panel Discussion with the Canada Comics Open Library & iJournal” Panel, Information & Museum Studies Conference – Community Knowledge: Shared Practices of Sense-Making, Communication, & Collaboration – University of Toronto

Guest Lecturing and Public Presentations

2019 – “The Canada Comics Open Library: Building a Community Space Dedicated to Comics Accessibility” for the course Graphic Novels and Comic Books in the Library – Guest lecture at the Faculty of Information – University of Toronto

2019 – Various library tours and presentations, including ARLIS-ON Fall Meeting – Canada Comics Open Library

Workshops

2018 – Facilitated Zine Workshops for TPL Teens Young Voices with Toronto Zine Library – Toronto Reference Library

2018 – Facilitated Zine Making Workshop for Youth at Maker Festival with Toronto Zine Library – Toronto Reference Library

Awards and Fundraising

Canada Comics Open Library

2020 – Toronto Arts Council Literary Projects – Canada Comics Open Library – Comics Creator Residencies – $6000 grant

2020 – Ontario Arts Council Literary Organizations Projects – Canada Comics Open Library – $8000 grant

2020 – Ontario Arts Council Arts Presenters Projects – Canada Comics Open Library – $6000 grant

2019 – Toronto Arts Council Literary Projects – Canada Comics Open Library – Comics Creator Residencies – $7000 grant

2019 – Indiegogo crowdfunding – Canada Comics Open Library – $5,643

2018 – Indiegogo crowdfunding – raised for Canada Comics Open Library – $3,633

2018 – present – Other fundraising projects – Canada Comics Open Library – $668

Total amount awarded and raised = 36,944

Media

Women Who Draw

American Library Association, panel (YouTube), published October 2nd, 2020. “Banned Through Comics Metadata!?”

Wednesday Night Reviews, interview (YouTube), published March 15, 2020. “Talking Shop #4 – Rotem & The Canada Comics Open Library“. Interviews collected here on Sequential Magazine’s website.

North West Territories Library Association, Snowshoe newsletter “Meet Rotem Diamant”

The Canada Comics Open Library

Women Write About Comics, September 27th, 2019. “The Canadian Comics Open Library Is Shaping Our Shelves” by Wendy Browne

Centre for Social Innovation, May 30th, 2019. “A Comic Library Comes to CSI!” by Audra Williams

Quill and Quire, May 9th, 2019 (May issue). “Canadian Comics Open Library calls for a new order in how graphica is catalogued” by Ryan Porter

TVO, May 3rd, 2019. “How a new Toronto library is trying to change the way we see comic books” by Chantal Braganza

TVO, Ontario Hubs, mini documentary, aired May 2nd, 2019 on The Agenda with Steve Paikin. “Changing the Way We Look at Comics: Ontario Hubs field producer Jeyan Jeganathan visits the Canada Comics Open Library in Toronto.”

Radio Free Krypton, podcast interview, April 4th, 2019. “How Toronto got a new library just for comics”

CBC Arts, January 29th, 2019. “Comic books and graphic novels haven’t gotten the library love they deserve — until now” by Laura Kenins

Broken Pencil Magazine #82, January, 2019, Pencil Sharpeners, page 4. “Comics Librarians Begin Open Library” by Jonathan Valelly

Comicon.com, November 11th, 2018. “Talking With The Canada Comics Open Library About Their Launch and Future Goals” by Koom Kankesan

Elsewhere

Writing blog: Library Kind

Canada Comics Open Library blog: Author, Admin

Art store: Monster Maiden Zines

Drawing Tumblr (2009-2018): Monsters and Maidens

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