diff --git a/smtk/attribute/CMakeLists.txt b/smtk/attribute/CMakeLists.txt
index 7ac02acc44bfe9857400b8e2b857766437e9448a..57f77bbdb03ae050ee46d24341c3beba1e9d9b3d 100644
--- a/smtk/attribute/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/smtk/attribute/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ set(attributeHeaders
   ValueItemTemplate.h
   VoidItem.h
   VoidItemDefinition.h
+
+  operators/Associate.h
 )
 
 set(attributeSrcs
@@ -168,8 +170,13 @@ set(attributeSrcs
   ValueItemDefinition.cxx
   VoidItem.cxx
   VoidItemDefinition.cxx
+
+  operators/Associate.cxx
 )
 
+#construct operator inputs
+smtk_operation_xml("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/operators/Associate.sbt" defOpXML)
+
 #install the headers
 smtk_public_headers(smtkCore ${attributeHeaders})
 
diff --git a/smtk/attribute/Registrar.cxx b/smtk/attribute/Registrar.cxx
index 40fffb439388347e008d25cc48db2f8615115469..2df104f92f3aaa16dc3fff92e357590645e595df 100644
--- a/smtk/attribute/Registrar.cxx
+++ b/smtk/attribute/Registrar.cxx
@@ -13,10 +13,27 @@
 
 #include "smtk/attribute/Resource.h"
 
+#include "smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.h"
+
 namespace smtk
 {
 namespace attribute
 {
+namespace
+{
+typedef std::tuple<Associate> OperationList;
+}
+
+void Registrar::registerTo(const smtk::operation::Manager::Ptr& operationManager)
+{
+  operationManager->registerOperations<OperationList>();
+}
+
+void Registrar::unregisterFrom(const smtk::operation::Manager::Ptr& operationManager)
+{
+  operationManager->unregisterOperations<OperationList>();
+}
+
 void Registrar::registerTo(const smtk::resource::Manager::Ptr& resourceManager)
 {
   resourceManager->registerResource<smtk::attribute::Resource>();
diff --git a/smtk/attribute/Registrar.h b/smtk/attribute/Registrar.h
index 1199c33c899b1673b562213554b0cd6e89e9bb6f..ca56a7b420858139013adf047ec901f6e0c0b408 100644
--- a/smtk/attribute/Registrar.h
+++ b/smtk/attribute/Registrar.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 #include "smtk/CoreExports.h"
 
+#include "smtk/operation/Manager.h"
 #include "smtk/resource/Manager.h"
 
 namespace smtk
@@ -21,6 +22,9 @@ namespace attribute
 class SMTKCORE_EXPORT Registrar
 {
 public:
+  static void registerTo(const smtk::operation::Manager::Ptr&);
+  static void unregisterFrom(const smtk::operation::Manager::Ptr&);
+
   static void registerTo(const smtk::resource::Manager::Ptr&);
   static void unregisterFrom(const smtk::resource::Manager::Ptr&);
 };
diff --git a/smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.cxx b/smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5022239270cbcd00ce54b93e41036b60e5ca809f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+//=========================================================================
+//  Copyright (c) Kitware, Inc.
+//  All rights reserved.
+//  See LICENSE.txt for details.
+//
+//  This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even
+//  the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+//  PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notice for more information.
+//=========================================================================
+
+#include "smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.h"
+
+#include "smtk/attribute/Associate_xml.h"
+
+#include "smtk/attribute/Attribute.h"
+#include "smtk/attribute/IntItem.h"
+#include "smtk/attribute/Resource.h"
+#include "smtk/attribute/ResourceItem.h"
+
+namespace smtk
+{
+namespace attribute
+{
+
+Associate::Result Associate::operateInternal()
+{
+  // Access the attribute resource to associate.
+  smtk::attribute::Resource::Ptr resource = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<smtk::attribute::Resource>(
+    this->parameters()->associations()->objectValue());
+
+  // Access the resource to which we will associate.
+  auto associateToItem = this->parameters()->findResource("associate to");
+
+  bool success = true;
+
+  for (std::size_t i = 0; i < associateToItem->numberOfValues(); i++)
+  {
+    smtk::resource::Resource::Ptr associated =
+      std::dynamic_pointer_cast<smtk::resource::Resource>(associateToItem->objectValue());
+
+    // Associate the resource to the attribute resource.
+    success &= resource->associate(associated);
+  }
+
+  return (success ? this->createResult(smtk::operation::Operation::Outcome::SUCCEEDED)
+                  : this->createResult(smtk::operation::Operation::Outcome::FAILED));
+}
+
+const char* Associate::xmlDescription() const
+{
+  return Associate_xml;
+}
+}
+}
diff --git a/smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.h b/smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..39e108af3a099354095477f5028345b2bb49ddf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.h
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+//=========================================================================
+//  Copyright (c) Kitware, Inc.
+//  All rights reserved.
+//  See LICENSE.txt for details.
+//
+//  This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even
+//  the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+//  PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notice for more information.
+//=========================================================================
+#ifndef __smtk_attribute_operators_Associate_h
+#define __smtk_attribute_operators_Associate_h
+
+#include "smtk/operation/XMLOperation.h"
+
+namespace smtk
+{
+namespace attribute
+{
+
+/**\brief Associate a resource to an attribute resource.
+
+   The visualized lists of attribute component items are populated from
+   associated resources.
+  */
+class SMTKCORE_EXPORT Associate : public smtk::operation::XMLOperation
+{
+public:
+  smtkTypeMacro(smtk::attribute::Associate);
+  smtkCreateMacro(Associate);
+  smtkSharedFromThisMacro(smtk::operation::Operation);
+  smtkSuperclassMacro(smtk::operation::XMLOperation);
+
+protected:
+  Result operateInternal() override;
+  virtual const char* xmlDescription() const override;
+};
+}
+}
+
+#endif // __smtk_attribute_operators_Associate_h
diff --git a/smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.sbt b/smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..1f047c8d6109c8352304edd0812c29d9c2390e8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
+<!-- Description of the "associate" Operation -->
+<SMTK_AttributeResource Version="3">
+  <Definitions>
+    <!-- Operation -->
+    <include href="smtk/operation/Operation.xml"/>
+    <AttDef Type="associate to attribute"
+            Label="Attribute - Associate Resource" BaseType="operation">
+      <BriefDescription>
+        Associate a resource to an attribute resource.
+      </BriefDescription>
+      <DetailedDescription>
+        &lt;p&gt;Associate a resource to an attribute resource.
+        &lt;p&gt;The visualized lists of attribute component items are
+        populated from associated resources.
+      </DetailedDescription>
+      <AssociationsDef>
+        <Accepts><Resource Name="smtk::attribute::Resource"/></Accepts>
+      </AssociationsDef>
+      <ItemDefinitions>
+
+        <Resource Name = "associate to" Label = "Associated Resource"
+                  NumberOfRequiredValues="1" Extensible="true">
+          <Accepts>
+            <Resource Name="smtk::resource::Resource"/>
+          </Accepts>
+        </Resource>
+
+      </ItemDefinitions>
+    </AttDef>
+    <include href="smtk/operation/Result.xml"/>
+    <AttDef Type="result(associate to attribute)" BaseType="result"/>
+  </Definitions>
+</SMTK_AttributeResource>
diff --git a/smtk/attribute/testing/cxx/unitAttributeAssociation.cxx b/smtk/attribute/testing/cxx/unitAttributeAssociation.cxx
index 444a7a9f1f3f54437707daf5e9f0547608816b1b..6453476c8467fb7c7b2e7ee144c15628aa42977d 100644
--- a/smtk/attribute/testing/cxx/unitAttributeAssociation.cxx
+++ b/smtk/attribute/testing/cxx/unitAttributeAssociation.cxx
@@ -9,8 +9,12 @@
 //=========================================================================
 #include "smtk/attribute/Attribute.h"
 #include "smtk/attribute/Definition.h"
+#include "smtk/attribute/IntItem.h"
 #include "smtk/attribute/ModelEntityItemDefinition.h"
 #include "smtk/attribute/Resource.h"
+#include "smtk/attribute/ResourceItem.h"
+
+#include "smtk/attribute/operators/Associate.h"
 
 #include "smtk/model/Edge.h"
 #include "smtk/model/EntityRef.h"
@@ -83,5 +87,26 @@ int unitAttributeAssociation(int, char* [])
   smtkTest(e0.associateAttribute(att->attributeResource(), att->id()) == false,
     "Should not have been able to associate entity of wrong type.");
 
+  {
+    auto associateOperation = smtk::attribute::Associate::create();
+
+    attribute::ResourcePtr resptr = attribute::Resource::create();
+    associateOperation->parameters()->associate(resptr);
+
+    model::Resource::Ptr modelMgr = model::Resource::create();
+    smtkTest(associateOperation->parameters()->findResource("associate to") != nullptr,
+      "Cannot access associate opration's input resource parameter.");
+    associateOperation->parameters()->findResource("associate to")->setValue(modelMgr);
+
+    auto result = associateOperation->operate();
+
+    smtkTest(result->findInt("outcome")->value() ==
+        static_cast<int>(smtk::operation::Operation::Outcome::SUCCEEDED),
+      "Associate operator failed");
+
+    smtkTest(*(resptr->associations().begin()) == modelMgr,
+      "Could not set attribute resource's model-resource.");
+  }
+
   return 0;
 }