The African American Quilt and Doll Show provided author Silk Allen with a platform to introduce the cultural history of quilts and cloth dolls. [Photo by Silk Allen]
I am a 41 year old doll collector.
Specifically, I collect contemporary black and brown Barbie and fashion dolls, but to be honest, I’m not the “I’ll just leave them in a box because they’ll be worth a lot of money one day” type of collector.
I actually take the doll out of the box, dress her in her nicest clothes, do her hair, give her a name, then paint a scene and pose her in a crude diorama I’ve made using various boxes I currently collect, then I take a photo of the doll and post the photo on an adult (21+) doll page, or it stays on my phone with thousands of other photos that will never see the light of day.
This is a hobby I recently picked up after noticing how much more diverse dolls are today compared to when I played with them in the 90s. The dolls’ skin tones come in a rich range of shades, from dark chocolate to cafe au lait. Their bodies are curvy, tall and petite. Their hairstyles include afros, braids, twists and dreadlocks. My collection has grown dramatically over the last two years, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
I thought walking alone through an empty Barbie aisle was the epitome of an adult doll collector, but I was wrong. Doll collecting is not a new phenomenon, but it’s more popular than ever, with doll-loving adults sharing their passion online through dedicated forums, Instagram, Reddit, and private Facebook groups. They meet in person in their towns through doll clubs, or attend toy and doll-specific shows around the country to meet other collectors and peers.
Popular dolls include antique and vintage dolls from before World War II, fashion and artist-based dolls such as Barbie and Tonner, ball-jointed dolls, and the highly popular reborn dolls that look like real babies. Dolls can be purchased for anything from a few dollars to thousands of dollars for avid collectors. And while high-end collectible dolls are made from high-quality plastics and fabrics, they may lack the context and cultural connections that an African-American cloth doll can carry.
I didn’t realize this until I attended the African American Quilt and Doll Show last month.
The two-day event was held May 17-18 at the Church of the Redeemer in Cleveland Heights with the theme “Spell a Story: Celebrating Our Heritage.” Friday’s special guest speaker was Dr. Carolyn Mazloumi, a world-renowned artist, historian, curator and author. After a change of direction in the 1980s, the former aerospace engineer became an advocate for African-American quilters, bringing attention and recognition to their work. She founded the African-American Quilters Guild of Los Angeles and the Women Quilters of Color Network and is credited with elevating African-American quilting from a craft to a fine art, according to the African-American Quilt & Doll Guild (AAQDG) show program.
Designer, collector and AAQDG member Muriel Tillman drove from Akron to attend the event. When asked what she came for, she replied, “To see the beautiful quilts that have been made over the past year and to hear Dr. Carolyn speak.”
Friday’s program included handcrafting workshops, quilt and doll trunk presentations, the Assane Seck drum/dance group, and raffles and door prizes. Saturday’s lineup included keynote speaker Tanya Montegut, a fashion show and a best of parade showcasing elaborately designed costumes by guild members.
Show booth. [Photo by Silk Allen]
The audience on Saturday (the day I attended) was incredibly diverse, with people young and old, quilters, artists, fans, families and collectors, all there to view displays of handmade quilts and dolls that tell stories, share family histories and showcase the talents of quilters and crafters.
Seth Pickney of Cleveland Heights has been a longtime fan and collector since his mother joined the guild in 2006. He attended shows to see the crafting and sewing skills of guild members, and eventually began buying quilt art to hang on his walls. “You can’t find people making this kind of art everywhere,” he says.
In a program article for the show, AAQ&DG President Evelyn Dorrell said the purpose of the show is to “celebrate the rich tapestry of African American culture and creativity” and to “present an array of exquisite fiber art featuring both improvised and traditional quilts, along with dolls made in the likeness of our members. We are also pleased to display an assortment of beautifully crafted quilted wearables, handbags and accessories.”
According to the show’s program, Chairwoman Barbara Townsend said the event is “a platform to share our stories, traditions and creativity with the world. Every stitch in a quilt or detail in a doll tells a unique story that reflects our culture, history and experiences. Let us weave each of our stories into a tapestry of unity and pride.”
Saturday’s guest speaker, Tanya Montegut, a self-taught textile doll artist, was a wonderful example of the stories and legends of dolls and African-American history interwoven. Montegut is a collector of black textile dolls herself, and she took to the stage to show the audience the incredible collection of dolls she has amassed over the years.
Montegut, who owns more than 40 dolls, is proud to have met and interacted with all of the designers whose dolls she has purchased from. She showed off hand-sewn dolls from Brazil and Liberia—anatomically accurate but faceless dolls. Her own dolls are made from a variety of materials, including leather, velvet, wire, wood, light bulbs, plastic spoons, and mops. My favorite doll from her personal collection was designed by Paula Whaley, sister of the late author and activist James Baldwin. Whaley is a Baltimore-based multi-material doll sculptor who uses clay, wood, tissue paper, cloth, and thread to create intricately textured garments.
Montegut shared the stories of some of the dolls and how she acquired them, and also encouraged the audience of collectors to think about what should happen to their collections after they die. “Donate your collection to a museum, a school, a university, a library so it goes somewhere special,” she said.
Visitors were encouraged to touch and handle the dolls to appreciate the design details and craftsmanship, and to see how the materials chosen gave the dolls dimension and movement.
Next up was a fashion show, where guild members and their families modeled colorful quilted garments featuring reversible pieces, vibrant textiles depicting impressionist art and Japanese-inspired designs, mud and kente fabrics and other avant-garde pieces.
Tiffany Hodges of Cleveland Heights has attended several shows and always looks forward to the fashion portion of the event. “I love seeing people make their own things and show off the creative spirit of the community, the vibrant colors and patterns,” she said.
After the fashion show concluded, guild members were called up for a parade showing off their Technicolor best, bringing the event to a successful close.
Some of the vests on display at the end of the event. [Photo by Silk Allen]
“It gives you an insight into a culture that you may not be familiar with, and seeing all the beautiful art and jewelry made it worth the time and effort. I’m glad I came,” said Dwayne Cheeks of University Circle, who attended the event because he knows the organization’s president.
To learn more about the African American Quilt and Doll Guild and how to get involved, visit their website. And if you want to learn more about Black Barbie, be sure to check out the new Black Barbie documentary on Netflix.
