Most people who have spent any substantial amount of time in Marquette are well aware of its natural beauty.
You don’t have to travel very far to take in an epic view or find a peaceful corner of the woods. But for senior art and design major Mike Naddeo, there’s another part of the city that holds great beauty and is equally worthy of exploration — the people. Naddeo’s most recent project, a photo book entitled “MQT,” sets out to do just that.
“‘MQT’ is a look at who makes this city tick,” Naddeo said. “The book explores the people and personalities that are the heart of Marquette.”
Naddeo, who is originally from the Flint area in lower Michigan, moved to Marquette roughly three years ago and quickly became enthralled by the community.
“I really feel that Marquette is a special place,” Naddeo said. “The people here are much different than my hometown and I really wanted to explore why that is.”
Naddeo said the idea for the project was heavily influenced by photographer Chase Jarvis, who created a similar project in his hometown of Seattle. Naddeo said his attraction to Marquette inspired him to create something along the same lines.
Naddeo said he began choosing subjects for the project by asking a few of the people around town that he already knew, from activists to artists.
“From there, as word got out, things kind of snowballed,” Naddeo said. “Everyone I approached about the project was very excited to be featured in the book. I didn’t really have any set criteria [for choosing people].”
Trying to get a good sampling of the community was the main goal, Naddeo said.
“I have activists like (Marquette city commissioner) Jason Schneider and (executive director of the Superior Watershed Partnership) Carl Lindquist, local business people like Mike and Sonia Stucko and Christine Pesola,” Naddeo said. “And also artists like Paul Grant and Dale Wedig.”
People who were chosen for the project were photographed by Naddeo in the lighting studio at NMU.
Naddeo said he wanted to bring an interesting narrative to the pictures by asking each person to bring an item that defined them as a professional.
Junior hospitality and restaurant management major Rory Shimp, who moved to Marquette from Illinois in 2009, agreed that the community has a unique character.
“There are so many active, engaged people in the community,” Shimp said. “That really adds a lot to the culture and to the potential of Marquette as a city.”
The response to the project thus far has been amazing, Naddeo said.
“The community has shown a ton of interest in the project so far,” Naddeo said. “I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.”
“MQT” may be purchased from www.blurb.com/b/4182035-mqt for $39.99 or personally from Naddeo. For more information about the project or to purchase a copy, email [email protected].
