Arts & Entertainment

Local Artist Showcases Handmade Dolls at Art Exhibit

Dozens of handcrafted dolls made by Debra Pounds will be on display at the NewPark Mall Cultural Corner through April 28

From NewPark Mall

Talented doll-crafter, Debra Pounds of Paddlefoot Dolls & Crafts will be exhibiting

a hundred beautifully crafted handmade black dolls at NewPark Mall’s Cultural Cornerduring April.

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As a featured artist, the Bay Area native will be showcasing a mixture of skillfully-crafted dolls depicting the multi-hues of Afro-decent faces.

Five genres from her collection will be on display: the Baby Girls, Cutie Pies, Huggables, Minis and Playables.

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Dressed in beautiful outfits consisting of matching skirt, shoes and headwrap, Pounds’ extended doll collection is made to hug, play with and to squeeze. Some dolls are purposeful and can sit on bookshelves and tables.

Pounds started Paddlefoot Dolls & Craft in 1999. Her specialty was crafting rabbits, bears and angels, but her love of crafting really beganwhen her mother wanted a black Santa for her desk. It sparked a conversation that led to making her first doll in 2001. She was immediately hooked.

Most of her doll creations are named for the spirit she sees in their eyes. Others are inspired by people close to her heart or dancing in her head. Creating her “babies” truly keeps her grounded, happy and sane.

In addition to her complete collection, she adds “her ladies with a purpose,” the Plastic Bag Holders and Naked Tissue/Shelf Sitters. Furthermore, Pounds has a Cancer Survivor Collection, a Holiday Collection and a Sports Collection. Each piece is meticulously handcrafted with love from the rainbow of browns, tans and yellows, the hues in human skintone.

The exhibit is FREE and open to the public. For more information, visit www.NewParkMall.com. The Cultural Corner, which opened in May 2011, provides exhibit space for the work of local artisans, including painters, sculptors, photographers and digital artists. 

WHEN:  

  • April 6 - 28
  • Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays , 10:00 a.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Sundays, 11:00 a.m. – 7 p.m.

WHERE:  

  • Cultural Corner (lower level near Sears)
  • NewPark Mall, Newark, CA 94560


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