A painting of two Black dolls by Aisebourne | Courtesy of William Grant Still Art Center
To launch the first exhibition, the Fergersons reached out to artists who were part of Los Angeles assemblage movement. The couple told the artists, Make a doll and reinterpret the notion of dolls, reinterpret our identity, and let s do this show, according to Motevalli. And it was mostly artwork. It was mostly assemblage art, and some Black dolls that were historic.
That first exhibition attracted people interested in doll-collecting, artwork, dolls used for religious purposes and the psychological impact of dolls on the public. It was a big hit, said Motevalli. Because of its success, the Friends of the William Grant Still Arts Center decided to continue the show year after year, bringing dollmakers of all kinds together in the same venue.