Bearing Beauty: The Studio P(atheos) Interview Series with guest John Noltner

“Bearing beauty includes creating beautiful things and being about beautiful movements in our world…often movements of revolution, redemption and transformation.” — Heatherlyn, singer and songwriter

In our second session of the new Bearing Beauty interview series here at Patheos, we’re introducing you to artist and freelance photographer John Noltner. Noltner is the creator and producer of A Peace of My Mind, a multimedia art project that fosters public dialogue about issues related to conflict resolution, civic responsibility, and peace. In 2009, John set out to interview and photograph dozens of people, including Holocaust survivors and a homeless man, a Somali refugee and a military chaplain, a pottery instructor and an oil company executive, asking them all the same question: “What does peace mean to you?” The project is now a traveling exhibit, and has launched a book with a foreword written by Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter, Ela Gandhi.

My Bearing Beauty series co-conspirator, singer and songwriter Heatherlyn, joined me this afternoon to chat with John about his work and the process of peace-making through storytelling. (Heatherlyn also sings for us, which is always soul food!) After hearing John share about his work, we think you’ll agree that he is bearing beauty in a powerful and world-changing way.

Thanks for joining us for another Bearing Beauty interview — we’ll see you again next month for another session!