Butterfly project encourages stand against hate

SEPTEMBER 8, 2016 (AUSTIN, TX) -  The Bullock Texas State History Museum staff and students from St. Edward's University will install a large-scale artwork consisting of thousands of paper butterflies Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. The Butterfly Project installation was designed in collaboration with St. Edward's University, and the art installation will be suspended above the Bullock Museum's grand lobby in conjunction with new a exhibition opening later this month. The installation will feature more than 5,000 unique and beautiful paper butterflies made by children throughout Texas.

Inspired by "The Butterfly," a 1942 poem written by a young man in a concentration camp, the project's purpose is to encourage Texans of all ages, but especially young people, to take a stand against intolerance. The butterflies represent endurance, change, hope, and life and celebrate the resilience of those who stood up against Nazi propaganda.

The Butterfly Project is created in conjunction with the exhibition State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, which explores Nazi propaganda and challenges citizens to actively question, analyze, and seek truth. Rare artifacts, historic film footage, and first-person interviews reveal the tragic consequences of the Nazis' extremist messages on millions of men, women, and children.

To accompany State of Deception, the Bullock Museum has also curated a companion exhibition, On the Texas Homefront, which examines the consequences of Nazi propaganda in Texas and concludes with a reflective space dedicated to creating messages of hope inspired by The Butterfly Project. Original artifacts, news articles, editorial cartoons, historical film footage, artwork and first-person narratives offer a new perspective on how propaganda was used in Texas during the first part of the 20th century.

State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, On the Texas Homefront, and The Butterfly Project, will be on view Sept. 17, 2016 through Jan. 8, 2017. A full list of programs and events can be found at www.TheStoryofTexas.com.

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The Butterfly Project is a collaboration between the Bullock Museum and St. Edward's University. 

Support for the Bullock Museum's exhibitions and education programs provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.

State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda was produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Education programs sponsored by Lisa and Sandy Gottesman. Sponsored by the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall Fund and Jeanne and Michael L. Klein. Additional support by the Stanford and Joan Alexander Foundation, the Pearlman Family Foundation, and the Friedel Family Foundation.

 State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda was underwritten in part by grants from Katharine M. and Leo S. Ullman and The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, with additional support from the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibition Fund established in 1990 and Dr. and Mrs. Sol Center.

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​​The Bullock Texas State History Museum, a division of the State Preservation Board and an accredited institution of the American Alliance of Museums, creates experiences that educate, engage, and encourage a deeper understanding of Texas. With dynamic, award-winning exhibitions that illuminate Texas history, people, and culture, educational programming for all ages, and an IMAX® theater with a screen the size of Texas, the Museum collaborates with more than 700 museums, libraries, archives, organizations, and individuals across the world to bring the Story of Texas to life. For more information, visit www.TheStoryofTexas.com or call (866)369-7108.