My Dolls Will Be Featured In Upcoming Book "Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting and Experiencing the Passion"

Hello All,

Great news! My first doll publishing debut! A few of my selected dolls will be featured among numerous in the soon to be released, FULL COLOR "BLACK DOLLS: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion" By Debbie Behan Garrett.

I was so excited last June when Debbie Garrett contacted me to feature a couple of my cloth dolls in her forthcoming book! Ms. Garrett is also the author of the previously released "Definitive Guide to Collecting Black Dolls."

This book celebrates over 1000 modern and historic black dolls and their makers/collectors. According to the book website:

"Doll genres celebrated, referenced, and valued include early dolls and memorabilia, cloth, fashion, manufactured, artist, one-of-a-kind, celebrity, and paper dolls. ‘A to Z Tips on Collecting,’ ‘Doll Creativity,’ and loads of ‘Added Extras’ will entertain, enlighten, excite, and encourage the most discriminating collector."

Contact the author to preorder your autographed copy today through http://blackdollcollecting.com/

Mark Your Calendars: PGAA Pieces of A Dream Exhibit

Folks! My next exhibition is the PGAA Pieces of A Dream weekend exhibition at Annie's Gallery in Camp Springs, MD, September 5-6, 2008. I will be showcasing the introduction of my dream dolls! More info to come!

An Evening At the Honfluer!

Artist James Terrell croons for the audience
Artist Wesley Clark proudly displays an art piece.

Twin Sister Sharon Burton (left) with Gallery Director Amy Cavanaugh and yours truly.


Artist James Terrell with one of his great pieces!
The young men of Life Pieces to Master Pieces created this gem!
Here I am with the debut of the Three Divas- Mixed Media art dolls!
The Ways' Men Howard W. Ways, II (my father in law)left, Kirt Ways (my brother in law) center and Howard W. Ways, III my beloved husband of 11 years and greatest supporter of me and my work, right.


Saturday evening, August 9th was a wonderful evening for my coming out exhibition at the East of the River Artist Exhibition at the Honfluer Gallery in Anacostia, Washington, DC. You would not know that we were in the deepest section of the "dangerous" southeast with what looked like a couple hundred well wishers, artists, and collectors who came out to support the show. I was very excited and pleased to be exhibiting in my first curated art exhibition for any gallery since I started publicly showing my art pieces.

Anacostia's gallery for contemporary art, Honfleur Gallery, celebrates its Second Annual East of the River Exhibition, which opened 7pm on August 9th 2008. Site specific installation, photography, painting, mixed media sculpture, collage, prints, drawings, written & spoken-word and functional craft demonstrate the broad range of the works in the show. Exhibitors range from emerging to seasoned professional artists.

I was pleased that my sister and art consultant, Sharon J. Burton was in attendance, as well as my husband Howard, my brother in law Kirt, who resides in Japan, as well as my father in law were in attendance.

My mentor and friend Francine Haskins was in attendance as well as one of my doll workshop colleagues Kim. Sharon Keyers Jackson mixed media fiber artist and member of the Prince George's County Artist Association as well as Wanda Aikens, Executive Director of the Ward 7 Arts Collaborative, of which I am a Board Member were also in attendance.

The East of the River collection depicts both a look through the artist's lens at this region, and expressions emanating from experiences living in Anacostia. Vibrant hues and energetic abstractions from painters Wesley Clark, Lance Wiggs and Stephen Terrell reflect an upbeat and positive vibe. More somber topics and probing issues, such as youth violence, racism, and gender issues are explored by Howard Fleming, Amber Robles Gordon and Gilbert Trent. Other artists reference the dichotomy of African heritage and modern American culture, reflected in digital images by Bruce McNeil, mixed media collage by Beatrice Martin, sculpture by Anne Bouie and pencil drawings by Malik Lloyd. Dominic Bracco seeks to uncover the day to day lives of youth in the area in a collection of documentary photographs. The artwork in East of the River exposes a fascinating, insightful cross section of thoughts, feelings and concerns.

Artists in East of the River include: Randall C. Holloway, Stephen James Terrell, Kerry Richardson, Kamala Subramanian, Douglas Eatmon, Martha Jackson Jarvis, Matthew Mann, Dominic Bracco, Sherry Ways, Anne Bouie, Marcia Greene, Fred Joiner, Malik Lloyd, Bruce McNeil, Lance Wiggs, Wesley Clark, Brian Martin, Amber Robles-Gordon, Beatrice Martin, Craig Vaughn, Howard Fleming, and Gilbert Trent. The exhibit was juried by Carl Cole (Ward 8 Commissioner, DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities), Kim Ward (Director, Washington Project for the Arts), Juanita Britton (Anacostia Art Gallery), Andrea Hope (ARCH) and Briony Evans (Honfleur Gallery). This exhibition was made possible through the generosity and support of the Morris and Gwendolyn Caftritz Foundation.

I was proud and excited to be included among some of the best artists in East Washington and in the region as a whole.

2008 Doll and Teddy Bear Expo-Washington, DC

Ethidolls representatives proudly display their new ethnic dolls!






On Saturday, August 9th I attended the 2008 Doll and Teddy Bear Expo in NW Washington, DC. This was my first time attending and I was in awe of the many dolls shown in the various categories. The majority of the dolls shown were either porcilean or ceramic. These are the kind of dolls that boutique toy stores would sell or serious collectors would want to buy. I browsed around the expo with interest snapping photos of dolls that were of interest to me. I wandered over the Ethidolls display and spoke with representatives about their ethnic doll line. What intrigued me about their product is that their African doll series are thoroughly researched right down to the fabric and clothing their dolls wear. In addition, they discussed how their dolls are manufactured and that most major doll manufacturers tend to place a light color over their dolls that can be easily scratched off.

I observed a number of ethnic dolls, in particular, African American dolls in the show. This tells me that there are a lot of collectors and the market is ripe for these kinds of dolls. This is encouraging.

Jack Johnston's Ethnic Doll Head Sculpting Workshop!

Jack Johnston demonstrating for me sculpture techniques for my ethnic doll head.


Yours truly trying to sculpture an ethnic doll head!


A student from Flint,Michigan works aimlessly to complete her ethnic sculptured doll head.


A group of doll artists from a New York City doll club watch as Jack Johnston demonstrated a technique in ethnic doll sculpting.


I guess I did not know what to expect at the Jack Johnston Ethnic Doll Head sculpting workshop. Boy was I in for a surprise. I have never worked with clay before since silly putty so I was a little nervous. But, Jack the ever warm personality and his son put me at ease as we worked to create a head sculpture of an ethnic man, in particular, an African man. I was in wonder watching Jack and the other students in the class. It was a wonderful experience. Everyone was eager to learn as Jack spun stories about his different adventures. My favorite was when Jack told the story of meeting the late Yolanda King, the Rev.Martin Luther King, Jr.'s daughter, on a plane and making a special skin color paint after her.

Jack's techniques stunned us all! He is so quick an agile with the sculpting instrument as he turned out various doll heads with different personalities for the class to see. He also showed us a completed doll of an older what looked like a Hispanic man. I was very pleased with the workshop and will attend another if I am available.

Honfluer Gallery Reception, Saturday, August 9, 2008 @ 7:00 pm

Greetings folks!

I posted this before but I just want to remind you of the reception taking place, Saturday, August 9th at 7:00 pm for the Honfluer Gallery East of The River Group Exhibition. Here is the info:

The Honfluer Gallery presents the Second Annual East of the River exhibition, highlighting the creative minds of Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, DC. The exibition dates are as follows:

August 9th - September 19th, 2008
Exhibition Opening Reception: August 9, 2008, 7:00 pm

The location of the gallery:

Honfleur Gallery
1241 Good Hope Road, SE
Washington, DC 20020
Phone (202) 631-6291
Website: www.honfluergallery.com

I will be exhibiting "The Three Divas" mixed media art dolls on canvas. I look forward to seeing you there Saturday evening!

Doll & Teddy Bear Expo in Washington, DC- August 8-10, 2008

This weekend is a busy one for me. However, I plan on attending the 2008 Doll & Teddy Bear EXPO. This international event will feature celebrity signings, exclusive show specials, festive club events, exciting auctions, charity raffle drawings, the annual DOLLS Awards of Excellence and Golden Teddy Award gala event, and more. The 17th annual event promises to be an absolute must for every serious collector! The Doll & Teddy Bear EXPO is one of the largest exclusive doll and teddy bear showcases in the United States open to the public.

Important Information

Aug. 8 - 10, 2008 Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
2660 Woodley Rd NW.
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 328-2000 - Details
Trade-Only Preview:
Friday, Aug. 8 (3 p.m. - 5 p.m.)
Public Show Dates
Saturday, Aug. (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
Sunday, Aug. 10 (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.)

Public Admission:

Adults:
Weekend Admission: $15
Daily Admission: $10
Children:
12 & Under: $5.00, but FREE if your child is wearing a scouting uniform or globally-inspired costume!

See you there!

AKA Centennial Barbie To Be Released by Mattel Shortly!

As a member of the oldest African American Sorority in the United States, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA), Inc., I was pleased when it was announced in July that the AKA Centennial Barbie was created. How gorgeous and wonderful she is! I want one so bad. The Barbie collectors website will be the primary venue to order www.barbiecollector.com. My understanding is that the doll will be released sometime during the month of August.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. celebrated 100 years in existence in Washington, DC in July. Though I am not currently financially active I witnessed a sea of pink and green all over the city and joyous smiles and laughter it brought.

The official Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. website states the following about the doll:

"The doll's unveiling culminates a process that began when Mattel learned of AKA's Centennial. As a show of pride, a representative approached the Sorority with an idea that would be memorable, capture the imagination of its members and be a keepsake that members would cherish for a lifetime. Inspired by these criteria, the company suggested the memorable doll.

McKinzie (AKA National President or Basileus (Greek)) said the Barbie Doll's symbolism goes beyond the obvious. "In addition to her beauty, the doll conveys a positive statement about African American women. This message makes the doll a treasure on several levels."

I am pleased that we have such a wonderful collector's item an African American Barbie adorned in the fabulous colors of pink and green (is so supreme!)