The Button Project

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.

Under the leadership of Professor Marisa 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.

With the collection of 1.5 million buttons complete, Bristol Community College 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.

Bristol Community College and its Holocaust & Genocide Center invited artists to submit proposals for a public artwork that incorporates the button collection. An international call for proposals attracted submissions from artists and designers worldwide.

After a highly competitive selection process, The Button Project officially accepted artist Zach Horn’s proposal. His design not only honors the stories embedded in the thousands of buttons contributed by community members but also serves as a lasting tribute to the power of remembrance.

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.