Peace Through Photography at the CEC

OMAHA – An exhibit detailing the experiences that unite us as humans, regardless of our cultural differences, will be coming to the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (CEC) in September.

“A Peace of My Mind: American Stories,” a multimedia art project from award-winning photographer and author John Noltner, will be featured at the UNO CEC from Friday, Sept. 4, through Friday, Sept. 18.

The exhibit is a project that, over the past three years, has accumulated dozens of responses to the simple question: “What does peace mean to you?”

“A Peace of My Mind: American Stories” features responses from ordinary people with extraordinary stories including subjects come from all over the country with connections to major American events including the Oklahoma City Bombing and the Civil Rights marches in Selma, and strikingly unique stories of immigration, performance and faith.

Noltner’s project uses black-and-white portraits and oral histories to foster dialogue about issues related to conflict resolution, civic responsibility and peace. The exhibit at the UNO CEC will feature photos and captions describing each of the subject’s stories.

The exhibit will be featured in the UNO CEC atrium and will be open to the public during normal building hours. Building hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday.

Throughout the exhibit, a white board will be available for guests to share their reflections on the photographs and stories of the subjects.

Also, a number of events tied to the themes of the photos, will be hosted in the CEC. Events include a 60-minute service project; an inter-generational dialogue event hosted by UNO’s Department of Gerontology and guest speaking event by monks from the Gaden Shartse Monastery.

Information about these events can be found at https://orgsync.com/67223/custom_pages/12787.

Ahead of the event, the Omaha World-Herald published a profile of Nolter and his exhibit. That story can be found here: "Photography Exhibit at UNO Looks for Peace".

The Weitz Community Engagement Center opened in April 2014 as the first university-based building of its kind. Designed to facilitate partnerships between the UNO community and city of Omaha, as well as other regional and national partners, the CEC provides workspace for area organizations as well as access to UNO faculty, students and campus resources.

“A Peace of My Mind: American Stories” is a continuation of Nolter’s first project, which began in 2009. In 2011, “A Peace of My Mind” was presented at the Peace and Justice Studies National Conference and, in 2012, at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

For questions or media inquires, please contact:

Charley Reed, UNO Associate Director of Media Relations 
402.554.2129 | unonews@unomaha.edu


or

Sam Petto, UNO Media Relations Coordinator
 402.554.2704 | unonews@unomaha.edu.

Related Links
60 Minutes of Service Wednesdays at UNO
Public Events at UNO's Weitz Community Engagement Center

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha 
Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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