Friends who helped make the night feel alive.
The Copyists of Białystok is a documentary about Jewish artists forced to paint for a Nazi, then murdered anyway.
There is a strange poetry in raising money to tell their story on my birthday, a day that celebrates life.
So I tried to honor them by living fully.
By making.
By inviting others to make.
By filling a room with art, music, performance, friendship, and life.
I asked friends to create paintings for the fundraiser too. I asked them to make with joy.
What happened was something I will not forget.
People showed up with art. They showed up in person. They supported the film. Then they went further, buying each other’s work and showing love for one another.
With so many moving pieces that night, I did not get everyone’s names and prices displayed the way their work deserved.
That matters to me.
These artists gave their time, their talent, and their trust to help me tell this story.
This page is my way of honoring that.
A place to see their work, know their names, and connect with the people who helped make the night feel alive.
Brian Hierstein