Richmond artist tracks BC’s COVID-19 cases, deaths, recoveries on button blanket

RICHMOND (NEWS 1130) — An artist in Richmond has been keeping track of COVID-19 cases, deaths, and recoveries in British Columbia by sewing buttons onto a red piece of fabric.

Since the province locked down in March due to the pandemic, Margreth Fry says she would keep track of the cases and deaths.

After discovering a box of unused buttons, she was quickly inspired.

“The more I got disconnected with the outside world, the more I wanted to be part of the feelings of people dying, recovering, getting infected. I wanted to show people I cared,” she said.

Thousands of colourful buttons are sewn in a circle, representing life and death.

Red buttons on the blanket represent the British Columbians who recovered for the virus, white buttons represent confirmed cases and dark-coloured buttons stand for the people who passed away.

“I get annoyed when people say buttons because they’re people. I want to keep that feeling to share and understand and be history eventually.”

Fry explains to CityNews the project has become extremely personal, knowing “each button is a symbol of what’s the outside.” Although expressing herself through her art has helped her.

The artist of 20 years adds another way her buttons have history is because buttons have been contributed from all over the world.

When she started to run out of buttons, friends and family pitched in after she reached out.

“People who send buttons also are [apart of] history, so it becomes one togetherness.”

After the BC long weekend, Fry plans to stop tracking and sewing COVID-19 cases into the fabric.