The idea of a Canadian association of original doll artists had been mulled over for several years in almost every corner of Canada. However, it wasn’t until 1998 that a group of Ottawa doll artists started meeting and discussing the development of a formal group. That first meeting included Maria Saracino, Liz Ciesluk, Mary Deorksen, Francine Mongeon-Charbonneau, Jannie van Eijk and Denise Desautels. Debra Armstrong was the seventh member to join the group and the CDAA was officially formed, with a logo and mandate.

"The Seven Founding Members of the CDAA" Dec 1998 L-R Back row: Francine Mongeon Charbonneau (President), Jannie van Eijk (Newsletter), Maria Saracino (Vice-President) Front Row: Liz Ciesluk, Mary Deorksen (Membership Chair), Denise Desautels (Treasurer), Debra Armstrong.

The CDAA Mission Statement was agreed upon for our group,

Supporting original artist dolls as an art form and the artists who create them.

Each of the original members committed their time and skills to help promote the CDAA and one of the first ventures was the Ottawa Nepean Doll Show where a table was purchased to recruit new members. Each member showed one piece of their work, split the care taking of the table at the two-day show and handed out the new brochures. A lot of people asked a multitude of questions after accepting the brand new pamphlets to read or add to their pamphlet collection.

So with a great deal of bravado and just a little trepidation, the CDAA was officially launched January 1, 1999. After a slow but determined start, with the internet, email and eventually word of mouth, the group started to increase their membership monthly. The Internet was used through various doll groups, and with the help of members like Jaine Lamb and Bob Cunningham, word spread quickly. The CDAA had approximately 35 members when Jaine Lamb planted the idea of an annual conference. The Ottawa group jumped at the chance to organize a gathering of artists from across Canada and it wasn’t long before Judith Crichton joined the organizing committee and brought with her the artistry and passion of the cloth doll clubs. By the end of December 1999 there were almost 40 members and plans were being put into place for the very first CDAA Conference.

Front: Jannie van Eijk Back: Judith Crichton, Maria Saracino, Anne-Marie Brombal, Francine Mongeon-Charbonneau, Liz Ciesluk, Denise Desautels (missing Mary Deorksen and Debra Armstrong)

"The Canadian Doll Artist Association held its' First Annual Conference on May 12-14, 2000 at the Travelodge West, in Ottawa. 68 people were officially in attendance. Members came from as far east as Newfoundland, from as far west as Red Deer and as far south as Texas. It was a great experience, a fabulous success both emotionally and financially.

The 2000 conference started with a get acquainted reception on Friday evening with drinks, snacks and most people meeting face to face for the very first time. Courses started bright and early on Saturday morning. There were sculpting classes offered in cloth and polymer, a photography class, slide shows and instructional seminars: seventeen seminars and workshops in total, some free, some for a nominal fee. There were also visits arranged to view the Timeless Treasures Doll Exhibit at the Museum of Civilization.

The conference included a doll competition with the winners announced at the banquet on Saturday evening. More demonstrations on Sunday morning and a show and sale, open to the public on Sunday afternoon.

According to the artists in attendance who have shown and competed at shows like Santa Fe and NIADA, the competition and the show and sale showed some absolutely fabulous works rivaling those shown at those prestigious international shows. It was a very exciting time and most attendees left looking forward to the next year's conference."

The first annual CDAA Conference was a huge success with artists participating, networking and sharing ideas. A wonderful sense of camaraderie left everyone feeling energized and inspired and brought the CDAA membership to over 100 and growing. The feeling of camaraderie was repeated in 2001 with the second annual CDAA Conference, Celebration 2001 and the involvement of a whole new group of talented and committed members.

A few of the dolls that came

Today the CDAA continues to grow and preparations for a fourth annual conference are currently under way. Many of the original ideas and goals of that first group of seven women who met in Ottawa are starting to materialize. The CDAA has implemented several support programs including a Mentoring Program, a Video Library and a show co-op program. The development of bylaws and the structuring of the CDAA as a non-profit organization have also led to new programs such as the Scholarship Opportunities Program which was introduced at the 2002 Conference.

Canadian doll artists are being recognized and respected like never before. A good part of the credit for this belongs to the CDAA and their continued commitment to support and promote doll art and the artists who create them.