On October 15, 2001, I e-mailed friends, family and colleagues about an art project that was a response to the events of September 11th. In turn, these people e-mailed their friends, families and colleagues.

Within 24 hours I had strangers at my studio with handfuls of buttons. Every day, for almost 6 months, I received more buttons either in my mailbox or hand delivered. Most packages came with a letter or note of support, thoughtful feedback and gratitude.

Over the winter of 2001-02, I designed and wove the 9/11 memorial piece using over 3,000 buttons from hundreds of donors. During this time, I found that people in my community needed a voice - a creative outlet - to express their grief and feelings of helplessness.

The Button Project became a community art piece with over 25 community members sewing the buttons to the weaving in a ten-day sewing marathon (that's 300+ buttons a day!).

The magnitude of response to this project has been humbling and inspirational. This project has shown me first hand the power of art to transform and heal.