Saturday, April 16, 2016

Eye of the Collector Exhibition


A variety of objects are currently included in the self-curated Eye of the Collector exhibition at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, Texas, which opens April 16, 2016, and closes Labor Day, September 5, 2016.


In late December 2015, the Senior Manager of Exhibits, Mike Spiewak, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, invited me to participate in the Eye of the Collector exhibition. We met in January, discussed the possibility, and I ultimately agreed to participate along with the other eight collectors of different objects.  During our meeting, one of my questions for Mike was, "How did you find me?"  His answer, much to my surprise was, "Your blog."  He explained that he googled "doll collector Texas" (or similar key words).

Mike and I met again in February for a scheduled videotaped interview and photo shoot of me and 20 dolls that would be included, among others, in the exhibition. In late March, I selected and packed 91 dolls which were transported to the museum on March 28th.  Transport was courtesy of the museum. Everything worked like clockwork.


On the evening of April 12th, while reading my Facebook feed, the following Perot-sponsored video ad fed in.  Click the arrow to view or click here.


 

The above video contains a very small portion of February's videotaped interview.  Viewing this added to my anticipation for the members-only preview, which took place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Perot on April 13, 2016. The preview was preceded by cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and a brief introduction of all collectors by Colleen Walker, the Eugene McDermott Chief Executive Officer at the Perot.

The preview was a spectacular event!  The nine involved featured collectors' objects are beautifully displayed, which include 85 of the 91 dolls on loan.  (My display case, unfortunately, could not hold all 91 dolls that were loaned.)

During the preview event, the following photos were taken by Colleen, Mike, and me, respectively, in which many of the 85 dolls in my exhibit can be seen.  (Stretch or click to enlarge the photos.)

L-R:  My mother, Colleen Walker, me, my son, and Anthony R. Fiorillo, Ph.D., a paleontologist, who is vice president of research and collections and chief curator at the Perot.
In this photo, the family is joined by Mike Spiewak.
The family posed for one final photo.
This photo of a side-glancing me is in the lower left-hand corner of the exhibit case with a brief description of my collector's story.
An almost ceiling-to-floor cloth banner of a doll-hugging me is at the entrance of my exhibit area.
"The camera" took this lopsided photo of the video screen which is attached to the front side of the doll display case.  Exhibition attendees can view my videotaped interview to hear me share my collector's story.  
Banner displays, such as the one above, which feature one or two of my dolls, can be seen throughout the museum's interior and exterior to advertise the Eye of the Collector exhibition.  The doll seen here is by Gloria Rone of Massas's Servants Collectibles who sells her dolls on Etsy.  I made it a point to include one-of-a-kind dolls and dolls made by African American artists.  This doll, Kamica, falls into both categories.

More of my dolls can be seen in the video in this article by CW33 dot com.

I remain quite impressed with the outcome and honored to have been asked to participate.

As mentioned previously, the exhibition opens to the public today, April 16, 2016, and extends through September 5, 2016.  

Tickets:  Members Free
Adult (18-64) $24
Youth (2-17)   $15
Senior (65+)   $18
General Group  $13

For more information about the Eye of the Collector exhibition, the participants and their eye-catching collections, navigate here.    

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27 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. AG Lanc - thank you for the congrats! I appreciate it!

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  2. Fantastic exhibit! You're like super duper famous. Ah, I knew you when, lol.

    Will this exhibit travel?

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    1. Thanks, Muff. You know me now, too.

      No, the exhibit will not travel.

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    2. Oh and it's the dolls who are gaining fame. I am just a low-key player in titis.

      :-)

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    3. Oh and it's the dolls who are gaining fame. I am just a low-key player in titis.

      :-)

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  3. I am so happy for you Debbie! This exhibition will be a delight for collectors and non-collectors. Every object does tell a story. Thank you for sharing some photos with us. I am glad your mother and son were able to share this moment with you.
    Take care of yourself!
    Arlette

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    1. Thank you, Arlette. I am happy they were able to attend as well. I left hubby at home with one of my grandsons. The other was at a track meet. This was supposed to be an adult-only experience anyway, but a couple of people did bring small children. There was a toddler there who was really trying to get to those dolls until she realized they were glass encased. She made the alarm go off and the museum attendants scrambled to the area like the Secret Service. :-)

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  4. Congratulations on this achievement! You do have a fantastic collection. Love that your son and mother were there to support you.

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    1. Thank you, Phyllis. Support is always welcome, especially from family.

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  5. Debbie, this is so fantastic! Looks like a gorgeous exhibit. I wish I lived closer!

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    1. Thank you, Sarah and thank you for sharing the link on Facebook.

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  6. It was brought to my attention that the embedded Perot video that I shared may not be able to be viewed on some devices. I added the direct link to the post and will add it again here.

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  7. Congratulations! Well deserved attention. Great that your mom and your son were there with you.

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  8. Oh wow, that's brilliant! Congratulations on being a part of that - it looks like a fantastic exhibit!

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    1. Thank you, jSarie. It is truly an honor to open up my collection to the physical pubic in such an environment where a small portion will be seen by both young and old of all walks of life.

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  9. OH Debbie! This so wonderful! Congrats!

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  10. Congratulations! It's wonderful to see your efforts in collecting black dolls and informing people about them get rewarded with some well deserved recognition.
    The strange thing is I realize I have no idea how I discovered your blog. I used to think I saw you on television but since I can't recall where it must be something else. Anyways, it was a great find and your posts are always interesting. Thank-you!

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    1. This is an ultimate reward, Maricha. Thank you for the congratulations.

      Perhaps you found me through a comment or a mention or link on another blog. It is for certain that our love for dolls is how we connected. I am glad you found this blog and hope you will continue to enjoy it.

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  11. How wonderful, Debbie! Congratulations on being asked to participate, and I know your exhibit will generate great interest!

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    1. Thank you, Roxanne. With the thousands of people who pass through the Perot on a yearly basis and the media exposure this exhibition has garnered, I am sure there will be a few who find my exhibit interesting. I witnessed a few interested people during the grand opening last week. Today, Good Morning Texas will air from the exhibition. I have my DVR set to record and will watch as much of the airing as I can before I leave for an appointment this morning.

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  12. Th thanks Debbie everything was fantastic you deserve all the recognition you have worked so hard to make us doll collectors happy and yourself while some of the world can see our past and future in the dolls fantastic you deserve that heart-shaped pen Yvonne

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  13. Debbie, I have to say I am so honored that a little doll I made in Vermont is in a museum exhibit in Texas, all thanks to you and your fabulous collection. It warms my heart that my doll has been included in your collection. Many blessings, Judi

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    1. Hi Judi!

      I am happy I was able to inform you that my one-of-a-kind photo face doll that you named Laura is included in the Eye of the Collector Exhibition. I wanted to be sure to include one-of-a-kind dolls and those that would heighten the senses and interest of patrons. Of course there are manufactured dolls and other categories exhibited, but a OOAK doll holds a special place in my heart because no one else in the entire world has one like it, and that includes my Laura photo face doll made by your gifted hands.

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