What started out as a joke between two colleagues has now turned into a public art project dedicated to furthering the love of art in Gwinnett County.
Have you driven around Gwinnett lately and noticed that giant buttons are popping up all over town? No, there is no mysterious giant looming above that has misplaced their sewing kit. These buttons are the work of Button Art, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Chaz Y. Lazarian, Esq. and led by Sajjad Sadeghi.
One fateful day, Chaz was chatting with his coworker, John, about wanting to start a public art project in Gwinnett. His first idea? Pandas. Yep, pandas. Thankfully John was there to steer Chaz in the right direction and suggested that he choose buttons as an homage to Gwinnett’s namesake, Button Gwinnett. As Gwinnett’s 200th birthday celebration approached, Chaz and his team were inspired to manage, create and install 200 original button sculptures throughout the county. And so, the Button Art Project was born.
Through public and private collaborations, the Button Art team has funded and installed eight buttons throughout the area. Buttons can be found outside the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville, in Peachtree Corner’s Technology Park, outside the Gas South Arena in the Sugarloaf CID and more. What’s next on the install list? The Button Art team is busy preparing for seven more buttons that will be found at two Gwinnett County Public Libraries, the Global Forum Shopping Center (two) and in the City of Peachtree Corners (three).
The team at Button Art is a diverse group of businessmen, lawyers, marketers, artists and entrepreneurs. Still, it’s their shared love of art and culture that brought them together.
“Great communities have great art,” said Sajjad Sadeghi, Executive Board Director of Button Art. “The goal is to unite the community – which is so large (geographically) and diverse (racially) – with a fun and quirky comprehensive public art project.”
The team works to engage artists of all ages, cultures and mediums and has a vision to create a platform for artists to promote and showcase their art to the public. Although the call for artists ended in 2020, the team is still looking for individuals or businesses that wish to sponsor button sculptures. As a sponsor, you have the choice to supply your own art or partner with a current Button Art artist. Not sure if you have the right location? All that’s required is a level surface that is accessible or viewable by the general public. Easy peasy! Not only will having a giant button sculpture at your business bring increased traffic, interaction and social media promotion, it will also make you look like a super sophisticated art connoisseur. So that’s just a win-win no matter how you look at it.
Although our good friend COVID has delayed some of the project’s progress, the team is dedicated to reaching its goal of 200 sculptures. So what comes after that final giant button is sewn into place? The sky’s the limit! The Button Art team looks forward to taking on a new project and continuing to share their love of art with the Gwinnett community.
To learn more about the Button Art Project and stay in the know about upcoming installations, check out buttonart.org.