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2017 Conference and Dollmaking School

August 28th to August 30th
and August 31st to September 3rd.

Sheraton Nashville Downtown

Nashville, Tennessee, was the location chosen by the National Institute of American Doll Artists (NIADA) for their annual Dollmaking School and Conference. From August 28th to 30th Master Artists taught classes on the art of doll making followed by 4 days of conference presentations, demonstrations and exhibits, including a spectacular opening-eve show at the local Nashville Public Library, and their annual Exhibition. Joy Calhoon, Anna Potapova and Anastasia Yanovskaya were welcomed as new artist members.

NIADA 2017
Conference

Thursday, August 31st to Sunday September 3rd.
Conference location: Sheraton Nashville Downtown, 623 Union St, Nashville, TN37219, Tennessee

NIADA 2017
Dollmaking School

Monday, August 28th to­ Wednesday, August 30th
Conference location: The Clay Lady Studios

Classes are taught this year by NIADA Artists
Connie Smith, Eva Hodinkova, Luella Mosson, Deborah Pope, Shelley Thornton and Catherine Mather

NIADA Artists Demos

Five NIADA artists will demonstrate some of their techniques and share invaluable information about their dollmaking process.

Catherine Mather
Taking the Mystery out of Millinery.
Blocking and shaping crowns and brims, using a range of materials to create professional quality hats.

Donna May Robinson
Making Flange necks
How to professionally sew a flange neck into a cloth doll

Diane Keeler
Making and painting faux glass eyes
Making faux glass eyes with polymer clay and resin, using a push mold to create eye blanks. Painting the iris and doming with resin to create a faux glass eye.

Leslie Molen
It’s all in the color details
Discussion on how the use of color in your doll can create intriguing balance and flow in your costuming.

Eva Hodinková
Using wood as a doll making medium

Conference Programs

Mikki Kavich, Connie Smith and Larry Blount
NIADA’s Tennessee Roots and Offshoots: Works by Helen Bullard, Magge Head Kane, Akira & Larry Blount and Connie Smith
Focusing on NIADA’s Tennessee-based artists.

Donna May Robinson
Clowns and Other Creatures
While some know NIADA artist Donna May Robinson for her funny-looking kids, she has also created many creatures that go beyond the human realm. Sometimes the path to creation evolves through some pretty unexpected ways!

Leslie Molen
Story Hats: An Artist’s Journey Creating Her Art Through Stories:
Textile artist Leslie Molen shares the story of her journey and growth as an artist. Leslie designs dolls and unique hats inspired by Chinese folk art.

Eva Hodinková
The Czech Puppet Magic :NIADA artist Eva Hellerova Hodinkova explores the Czech puppet tradition. When there is life in an object, it can tell stories and reflect emotions, offering a kind of therapy, or a form of magic, to viewers.

Robert Tonner
Making Dolls in a STEM World :
Art Doll making is about to become even more complicated! Robert will be presenting some of the new technology that’s beginning to revolutionize the way we figurative/doll artists think about the way we make dolls.

Tanya Marriott
Designing Eco-Fiction Dolls :
Tanya Marriott discusses the development of eco-fiction characters through the plight of the Kakapo, personified as Artie, his companions, champions and adversaries.

Shelley Thornton
Ten by Twelve:
Up to twelve visiting artists will introduce their dolls with ten projected images of their work. For each photo, the artist will have 20 seconds to provide commentary.

Keynote Speaker : Nathan Jurevicius

Nathan Jurevicius

 NIADA Souvenir Doll Artists 2017

The 2017 Conference will continue to have dolls designed by multiple artists. We have invited 9 NIADA Artists to take part. The souvenir dolls designs will remain secret until the conference, and will be distributed at the banquet to all conference attendees. The contributing NIADA Artists are Catherine Mather, Anna Zueva, Theresa May, Marlaine Verhelst, Luella Mossom, Tatiana Baeva, Diane Keeler, Deborah Pope and Donna May Robinson. Check out the Doll work of the contributing Artists above.

Gallery Dolls 2017