Introduction and Project Overview
Bristol Community College and its Holocaust & Genocide Center in Fall River, Massachusetts, invite artists and artist teams to submit proposals for a public artwork that incorporates Bristol’s collection of 1.5 million buttons, each representing a child murdered in the Holocaust. The buttons will be provided to you. Preference will be given to proposals that utilize the entire 1.5 million button collection. This project aims to honor the memory of these children and raise awareness about the atrocities of the Holocaust, fostering reflection and education among the community.
The Button Project’s Initiation
Ronald Weisberger, Ed.D., Director of the Holocaust and Genocide Center at Bristol Community College, initiated a button collection project in 2017, inviting community members to donate garment buttons. Each of the 1.5 million buttons symbolizes one of the Jewish children who lost their lives in the Holocaust, serving as a solemn reminder of the generations affected by intolerance and violence.
In a world still shadowed by the atrocities of the past……the button project transcends time, reminding us to reflect on the murderous outcomes in history that repeat when hate is left unchecked. It embodies the collective grief of both past and present generations, urging us to confront the harsh realities of genocide that persist today.
This installation serves as a reminder to choose compassion over division, inspiring us to ensure that the voices of the innocent are never silenced again.
– Ronald Weisberger, Ed.D. [Director of the Holocaust and Genocide Center at Bristol Community College]
For more information, visit Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery at Bristol Community College
For more information click here
