The Allegheny County Library Association collaborated with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh this past summer to offer painting sessions for the Butterfly Project. The Butterfly Project is a San Diego-based initiative with the goal of having one ceramic butterfly painted for each of the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust.

Participants in the Butterfly Project learned about children who died in the Holocaust and received a card with a story of a specific child. The participants then painted a butterfly, in part inspired by the story of that child.  The project challenged the communities to embrace differences and to fight against bigotry and intolerance happening in the world today.

The completed butterflies are on display in 22 participating libraries (see below) as part of a countywide exhibit. We invite you to visit the libraries to share in honoring all those lost and to experience the hope, empathy and empowerment that the butterflies provide. For more information on the national Butterfly Project, visit the website.