Curly and Amber - Curly is Jerry's brother. Amber wants to marry Curly and be a model, a singing star or...

2 September to 10 December 2000

A much-loved treasure, The Family, is coming out of the Dowse Art Museum collection store to show off and take a look at the visitors.

The Family is a collection of 35 dolls by artist Malcolm Harrison. Each doll was created from his vast collection of fabrics, buttons, old jewellery, snippets of lace, pieces of embroidery and hat trimmings. Many pieces used to make the dolls are heirlooms themselves, some dating back to the 19th Century.

The first family member, Jerry, was born in 1983 and was joined by 34 more over the next four years. Like any family, this one grew in a random unplanned way. Within days of first going on display at the Dowse Art Museum in 1987 Jerry's wife Chloe gave birth to baby Huttette, making 35.

Family members include a circus busker, a used carriage salesman, an explorer, a showgirl, as well as babies and children. The family connections are complex but each family member has a story explaining a little about their personalities and giving clues to how they are linked to other parts of the family. The origins of their clothing materials are described in painstaking detail. These are very stylish individuals indeed.

Dowse artworks manager Charlotte Davy says that the Dowse is considering arranging a national tour for The Family as they have expressed an interest in seeing other parts of the country.

"We've made them very comfortable in our collection store but despite the spectacular company they keep, works by some of New Zealand's most important artists, some of the younger family members are itching for an adventure," says Davy.

So bring your family to see our family soon. The Family will be receiving guests from 2 September to 10 December.