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With the click of his camera, John Noltner aims to go beyond just taking a picture of someone. He wants to tell their stories and amplify their voices.

“We can talk about heavy, emotional issues in a civil, productive way,” Noltner said. “If we take the time to listen deeply, challenge our own expectations, open ourselves up to new possibilities, and are willing to stay at the table.”

John Noltner, who spent 30 years working as a freelance photographer for national magazines, brought his nonprofit, A Peace of My Mind, to Syracuse University this week, where it’s on display in Schine Student Center. He started the project, which uses photographs and stories to encourage people to talk about difficult but meaningful issues, in 2009 and has since made it his main focus.

“I was frustrated with the quality of our national dialogue and all of the things that ask us to look at what separates us,” Noltner said. “I was curious if there was something I could do with my skill set, my photography, and my storytelling to remind people what connects us.”

This is Noltner’s second visit to Syracuse, his first back in 2018. Two years ago, Noltner and his wife sold their house in Bloomington, Minnesota to travel. The two have been living on the road ever since, working on A Peace of My Mind.

The Wisconsin native visits many different colleges, conferences, community centers and places of faith to share his project. In addition to the exhibit in Schine, he also facilitated an interactive studio in Hendricks Chapel.

The project includes images and stories from people Noltner has met in all walks of life — from pig farmers to CEOs to musicians. It also features podcasts, four traveling exhibits, three books, workshops and on-site studios.

“My goal is to make sure everyone is invited to the table, and to make sure that we can see the beauty and wisdom that’s all around us,” Noltner said.

Brian Konkol, the Dean of Hendricks Chapel, invited Noltner to campus to spark discussion about community and inclusivity. The two have previously worked together in programming in Minnesota.

“He is a brave truth-seeker, gentle listener, and innovative storyteller,” Konkol said. “In a world that is filled with both kindness and cruelty, he provides a mirror to witness the world as it is and also a lens to imagine what the world can become.”

Noltner said he hopes his project and presentation can help unite the SU campus by showing people how similar they really are.

“People have come at the question from all different directions, and each of the responses by themselves is beautiful,” Noltner said. “But when you weave them together it turns into this lovely fabric of how we understand community.”

Surya Vaidy, a senior at SU, studies photography for his minor, helped Noltner set up his photo exhibit and recruited SU community members to participate in the interactive studio. He said he greatly admires Noltner’s project and the deep context he adds to photography.

“Sometimes, we are just faces in a crowd to each other, but sometimes we have the grace to meet people who tell us their stories,” Vaidy said. “John is like the middle man who tells you a little bit more about them so they are not just a face on the street.”

Vaidy, who is in his last year at SU, often ponders the importance of community here on campus. He said Noltner’s project helped him recognize that.

“The University always talks about the ‘Orange Community’ but what does that mean?” Vaidy said, “John’s project is one of the multiple ripples that make us more conscious of each other here.”

Surya Vaidy is a staff photographer at the Daily Orange. He does not influence the editorial content of the Culture section.

Published on October 12, 2022 at 9:41 pm