About the reception:
Join The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures for the opening reception of Portraits of Childhood: Black Dolls from the Collection of Deborah Neff.
- Refreshments including wine, beer, and appetizers.
- Additional information forthcoming.
About the exhibition:
This exhibition features 135 handmade Black dolls dating c. 1850 – 1940, as well as almost 60 period photographs and paintings depicting the dolls posed alongside both children and adults. A selection of more recent Black dolls from the Museum’s collection provides additional perspectives on the exhibition’s themes to consider. Little is truly known about this vast collection of Black dolls, allowing space for viewers to create their own narratives and inspire dialogue around the themes of race, gender, and identity.
The exhibition, conceived as a Learning Lab, is an open space for conversation that invites a multitude of ideas and perspectives to be considered through varied lenses. Visitors are encouraged to consider what the Black dolls mean, observe visual changes to Black dolls over time, and consider how this impacts meaning, audience, and use.
Organized in collaboration with an advisory group of Kansas City Black women, the Museum invites educators, students, UMKC faculty and staff, and community members to respond to the exhibition thoughtfully and critically by visiting both independently and in organized groups, participating in workshops and facilitated conversations, and attending public lectures.
Don’t miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience this unique collection and important piece of Black history!
Supporters:
This project is supported in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund and the Hall Family Foundation.
