Bearing Witness

A Sea of Buttons in Memory of the Holocaust’s Youngest Victims 

March 6 - April 3, 2025

The Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery at Bristol Community College is honored to present Bearing Witness: A Sea of Buttons in Memory of the Holocaust’s Youngest Victims, an exhibition that shares the remarkable story of a years-long community initiative to collect 1.5 million buttons—each symbolizing a Jewish child murdered during the Holocaust. This deeply moving installation offers visitors a rare opportunity to witness the full scale of the collection while also engaging with the evolving vision for a permanent public artwork dedicated to remembrance. 

A Community’s Commitment to Memory

The project began in 2017 when Linell Dean, then an administrative assistant at Bristol’s Holocaust and Genocide Center, proposed a button collection campaign inspired by a similar initiative in Australia. Unlike past Holocaust remembrance projects that had utilized stamps or paper clips, this effort uniquely focused on buttons—a humble yet powerful symbol of individuality and absence.

From local businesses and schools to international contributors, thousands of individuals participated, each donation reflecting a personal commitment to honoring the memory of the Holocaust’s youngest victims. Among the many contributors, 12-year-old Ireland Nordstrom of Fairhaven made an extraordinary impact, collecting over 100,000 buttons through her grassroots efforts.

Artistic and Educational Impact

Throughout the campaign, Bristol’s Art Department played an ongoing role in transforming the collection into a meaningful visual experience. Under the leadership of Professor Marissa Millard, student volunteers created powerful button portraits of Anne Frank and Holocaust survivor Stephen Ross, now permanently displayed in the College’s Jackson Art Center.

As the project grew, dedicated individuals, including Providence College intern Michael Santos and Bristol Honors student Corrine LePage, expanded outreach efforts, helping the campaign reach its ambitious goal of 1.5 million buttons.

A Monument to Remembrance

With the collection complete, Bristol Community College has turned its focus to the future: the creation of a permanent, site-specific memorial. A committee convened in the summer of 2024 to establish criteria for the installation, ensuring it embodies the project’s mission of remembrance, education, and community engagement.

An international call for proposals in October 2024 attracted submissions from artists and designers worldwide. The exhibition will feature models of the three finalist designs, inviting visitors to explore and reflect on the creative visions for this enduring tribute.

An Invitation to Bear Witness

As Bearing Witness unfolds within the gallery, visitors are invited to contemplate the enormity of loss represented by the 1.5 million buttons and engage in discussions about history, memory, and responsibility. The exhibition offers a rare chance to see the entire collection before it becomes part of a permanent outdoor memorial.

In honoring the past, this project carries a vital message into the future—ensuring that the stories of Holocaust victims continue to be told, that lessons of history are not forgotten, and that remembrance remains an active and evolving process.