Photographic Journeys: Work By Jonathan Zierdt

More than fifty photographs featuring nature and architecture in Minnesota, Iceland, Israel, and several national parks comprise Photographic Journeys: Work by Jonathan Zierdt, on display March 3 – April 29 at the Arts Center of Saint Peter.

Curated and printed by Zierdt’s camera tutor Bridget Larson, the photos document travels during 2017 and 2018 when Zierdt was nearing the end of his five-year battle with prostate and kidney cancer. Zierdt died in 2019 at age 52, and is the namesake of the Jonathan Zierdt Cancer Fund of the Mankato Area Foundation, a donor-advised fund committed to community cancer awareness and support.

“It was being in the field, behind the lens, that brought him the greatest joy in his hours of greatest need,” wrote Ginger Zierdt, Jonathan’s wife, in a statement about the exhibition. “He often remarked, ‘When I’m shooting, for those moments, I’m transported in time to a place where there is no cancer. Photography is my escape – cancer cannot find me there. I am fully alive.’”

All of the exhibition work is for sale, and the artist’s portion of proceeds will be donated to the JZ Cancer Fund.