Dealing with the horrors of war through art - Martin Small
To most people, the Holocaust represents the murder of millions. To Martin Small, the Holocaust is personal. It's the experience of losing his entire family and most of his friends to the Nazis and their collaborators. Martin escaped death numerous times as a slave laborer, starving fugitive on the run, and as a captive at the Mauthausen death camp. After the war, Martin moved to New York City and had a successful business career. Upon retirement, he needed an outlet for his energy and lingering painful memories. Without formal training, he began drawing, painting and sculpting as a way of remembering and honoring those he lost. Along the way, his art has received widespread recognition. His pieces have been displayed at the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and at numerous showings at art galleries and educational institutions. After leaving New York and moving to Broomfield, Colorado, Martin Small continued to draw, paint, and sculpt in wood and metal well into his nineties despite the injuries he received during from Nazi torture. He also spoke regularly to gatherings at synagogues, churches, schools and universities. He has worked closely with numerous Regis University students and both he and his wife Doris (who herself escaped Berlin in August, 1939) have presented during Stories From Wartime. Martin's artwork helps him deal with the memories that haunt him still today and expose the horrors of his life to future generations so that they never, ever happen again. For more information on Martin Small visit this tribute site. |
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He addresses life on the farms and small villages in the area and his family's extensive religious background. He will also describe life in a mixed community of Jews, Catholics and Orthodox Christians living in supposed harmony which proved to be an illusion when war came. Martin's goal is to bring their lives to light so future generations will recognize how they lived, not just how they died. "Remember Us" is available for purchase at iUniverse.com and Amazon.com. |


