42nd Annual Black Doll Show Opening reception

Opening reception and Dolls of Hope Doll Making Workshop with Dr. Cynthia Davis

“Fun and Games - The 42nd Annual Black Doll Show” is an exploration of ancestral games and

how play can help us think deeper and archive histories. This year we are looking for dolls,

quilts, games and images/videos that fit our theme of historic games. Ethnographic studies in

Africa allow us a peek into how games are part of social negotiations within various African

cultures and Afro-Creole societies in the Americas. The investigation of games and social play

indicates three main concepts in anthropological and archaeological theory: identity, agency,

and power. In examining, through dolls, the history and culture of gaming in the Black diaspora,

we seek to highlight the ways that the oppressed have established in-group power dynamics

and identity through games and play.

We are excited to have you join us as we have fun creating dolls with the extraordinary Dr. Davis

and her Dolls of Hope.

**Spaces for doll workshop based on availability