Nationally Touring Photography Exhibit to Visit Kent Campus

A Peace of My Mind, an engaging social
commentary project intended to create
conversations about conflict resolution,
civic responsibility and peace, will be at
Kent State University from Oct. 20 to
Nov. 2.

A Peace of My Mind, an engaging social commentary project intended to create conversations about conflict resolution, civic responsibility and peace, is touring the United States and will be at Kent State University from Oct. 20 to Nov. 2. Faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to visit the exhibit during its time on campus.

A Peace of My Mind features 32 engaging portraits and compelling personal stories to facilitate social justice conversations. The exhibit, which will be displayed in a stand-up format in the first-floor quiet study area of the University Library, is free for faculty, staff, students and community members to explore at their own pace.

“The setup of the exhibit allows people to have freedom of mobility as they go through it,” says Della Marie Marshall, senior associate director at Kent State’s Center for Student Involvement. “It allows them to voluntarily go to the pictures that resonate with them, and it’s at eye level so people won’t have to look up.”

A Peace of My Mind will be open during the library’s normal operating hours and will involve a self-guided tour through the panels. Comment cards also will be available for guests to write personal reflections and provide feedback about their experience with the exhibit.

John Noltner, photographer and founder of A Peace of My Mind, began his project in 2009 as a response to the negativity he says he often saw in the media.

“I was really frustrated with the national dialogue I saw going on around me,” Noltner says. “It seemed like there were so many things in our world asking us to look at what could separate us, so I wondered if I could use my photography and my storytelling skills to look at what connects us.”

Noltner specifically searched for people who were working toward peace and asked them the question, “What does peace mean to you?” The project features Noltner’s first 50 interviews with people he primarily met in his home state of Minnesota.

“It didn’t really matter who I talked to for the first few interviews. I just wanted to cast a broad net and talk to as many people as I could,” Noltner says. “However, as the project has matured, I recognized there were missing voices, so I wanted to try and pull those voices into the project to get a larger picture of peace.”

Noltner will give a keynote speech on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in the first floor quiet study area of the University Library. A small reception will take place following the keynote address for guests to converse with Noltner about his project. While at Kent, Noltner plans to sell his book produced from the series and will offer book signings.

“This exhibit was a good fit for Kent State because Kent has always been at the forefront of social justice issues,” Marshall says.

Noltner has traveled to places of tragedy and influence like Ground Zero, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and cities that played major roles in the Civil Rights Movement. He believes Kent State’s culture would fit well with the purpose of A Peace of My Mind.

“I’ve been drawn to places of difficulty and places of healing across the country, and I felt drawn to Kent State,” Noltner says. “We all know some of the difficult history of Kent State during the Vietnam War era, and it was powerful for me to be on campus and start to understand a little more about that history.”

Noltner plans to visit the May 4 Visitors Center while on campus so he can continue to study Kent State’s history and consider how the past affects the university’s current culture and motivations.

For more information about the exhibit on campus, contact Marshall at dmarshal@kent.edu.

For more information about A Peace of My Mind, visit http://apeaceofmymind.net/.

For more information about Kent State’s Center for Student Involvement, visit www.kent.edu/csi.