Black History Doll Show and Sale Highlights From This Weekend!

One of my commissioned dolls in the show!


A group of young ladies who were members of a support group to encourage self esteem for young girls using dolls stopped by.



Doris McGillan, Doll Artist, shows off one of her beautifully created dolls.

Two of my dolls on display




Daisy Carr proudly shows one of her doll creations!


Several more of my dolls on display.



Carole Brothers of Agape Dolls



This weekend's Black Doll Show and Sale was fantastic. It was held Friday, February 19th and Saturday, February 20th at the PG Plaza Mall in Hyattsville, Maryland. Several great doll makers and artists were in attendance including, Carole Brother of Agape Dolls, Doris McGillan of Heritage Designs, Daisy F. Carr, Doll Artist and Designer, among others.

Yours truly enjoyed the event and learned a lot of about the Doll Making and Showing world. Several of my colleagues and fellow doll makers from New York City came down and showed support for several artists in the show.

Many visitors to the show noted it was their first time being surrounded by so many beautiful dolls. Others were serious collectors who were regular visitors to the show. Still some were regular collectors of some of the doll makers in attendance. I met some new collectors of my dolls as well.

WUSA Channel 9 in Washington, DC covered some video and interviewed several artists about their works. Film footage included all the artists in attendance. Barbara Whiteman of the Philadelphia Doll Museum was also in attendance.

If you missed it there will be another one in the fall. Keep your eyes and ears posted. I will be there again!

Celebrating Black History Month and the Art of Doll Making!

February is Black History Month and the African American folk art of doll making is something that is exciting to explore this time of year. Doll collecting among African Americans has historically included elements of history and genealogy, with childhood dolls being passed from mother to daughter for generations. The dolls also provide a continuing link to the past – their simplicity, uniqueness and age that mark the gradual progression of African Americans socially.

This month, to celebrate Black History Month and the history of African American doll making consider:

*visiting the Philadelphia Doll Museum, to get a glimpse of the history of African American Dolls and doll making.

*purchasing and reading Debbie Behan Garrett's book Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting and Experiencing the Passion

*visiting a local African American doll maker's studio in your community, take a doll making class or subscribe to their newsletter or blog.

*attending a Black History Doll Show this month. I will be participating in one in Hyattsville, Maryland. See my earlier blog post.

*traveling to the Gullah Islands off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina to get the flavor of traditional doll crafts and the history behind them.

This month is an exciting month to share your love of dolls and find a sense of history in the African American community. Let me know some other ideas of how you intend to celebrate the history Black Doll making!

Obama and Family Paper Dolls!

Dover Publications has created the Barack Obama Paper Doll collection which not only features the Senator but his wife Michelle Obama and their two beautiful daughters.

The clothes designed for the dolls are authentically displayed as the actual clothes worn by the family during the campaign.

What I found intriguing was included in the set is a "Election Night Scoreboard" which the user can score per state the number of electoral votes being cast for either Obama or McCain. How nifty.

This Collectible Campaign Edition Paper Doll Set is available from Dover Publications for only $7.99. Click here http://store.doverpublications.com/0486469786.html to order!

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/