Award-winning photographer John Noltner and his partner, Karen, sold their Bloomington, MN, home a during the pandemic, bought an RV and headed out to learn about peace in America. Noltner spent three decades as a freelance photographer for magazines, nonprofits and corporations. To counter a growing divisiveness he witnessed as he traveled, he launched “A Peace of My Mind,” a multiyear, multimedia arts project sharing stories of the courage and kindness of everyday people.

John and Karen parked their live-in van at Sojourners’ office in D.C. for a few weeks this summer. It happened to coincide with a) my first visit back to the District in a year since moving to California and b) my return from a peace mission to Ukraine. John was kind enough to interview me about the trip for both audio and print and take one of his famous portraits of me.

A Peace of My Mind is a multimedia arts project, created by John that uses portraits and personal stories to bridge divides and encourage dialogue around important issues. Through exhibits, workshops, lectures, on-site studios, and distance learning, A Peace of My Mind leads transformative experiences that help a polarized world rediscover the common humanity that connects us.

Listen to or read the interview here.

Download the podcast.