Jon T. O’Neal

Jon T. O’Neal is an American photographer, physician, screenwriter, and filmmaker whose work explores identity, memory, social justice, and the resilience of the human spirit. For more than four decades, his photography has documented communities whose stories are often overlooked, creating intimate portraits that foster empathy and deeper understanding.

O’Neal studied History of Art and History of Photography at the University of Kansas before earning his medical degree there. He later earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) and completed his residency in Occupational Medicine, both at Harvard University, and received an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. His education in the visual arts, medicine, public health, and cinematic storytelling has shaped a photographic style that blends documentary honesty with a strong sense of narrative.

Before returning full-time to the arts, O’Neal enjoyed a distinguished career in medicine. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel and Senior Flight Surgeon in the United States Air Force and later became a nationally recognized specialist in occupational medicine, lecturing throughout the United States. His decades as a physician continue to influence his photography through a deep respect for the dignity, vulnerability, and shared humanity of his subjects.

O’Neal’s lifelong interest in documenting Kansas began in 1975, when he started photographing the annual Labor Day Rodeo in Eskridge, Kansas, creating a visual record of one of the state’s enduring rural traditions. While working for U.S. Senator Bob Dole, he drove the Senator’s mobile office throughout Kansas, an experience that inspired his long-term series, Kansas Counties—a photographic portrait of each of the state’s 105 counties. The series is included in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress. More recently, he has photographed the Douglas County Fair, continuing his commitment to documenting the people, traditions, and landscapes that define Kansas.

More than 300 of O’Neal’s photographs are represented in permanent institutional collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Princeton University, the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg, Kansas, and the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Florida.

Today, O’Neal divides his time between photography, filmmaking, and writing. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas.

Artist Statement

Photography has been a constant in my life since I was a teenager, when I first began attending then documenting the annual Labor Day Rodeo in Eskridge, Kansas. What started as a fascination with light, gesture, and composition gradually became something more meaningful: a way to preserve the stories of people and communities that might otherwise be forgotten. Although I spent most of my professional career practicing medicine, I never stopped making photographs. My years as a physician taught me to slow down, to observe carefully, and to recognize both the vulnerability and resilience that exist in every individual. Those lessons continue to shape the way I approach the people I photograph. Whether I am photographing a rodeo cowboy, a transgender service member, a county fair exhibitor, or someone living with HIV, I strive to create images that are grounded in dignity, trust, and respect.

Much of my work focuses on individuals and communities whose stories are rarely told or are frequently misunderstood. Rather than seeking dramatic moments, I am interested in quiet moments of authenticity—those brief instances when people allow themselves to be seen as they truly are. I believe photography has the power to replace assumptions with understanding and to encourage viewers to recognize themselves in the lives of others.

Kansas remains both my home and an enduring source of inspiration. Projects such as Kansas Counties, the Eskridge Labor Day Rodeo, and the Douglas County Fair celebrate the landscapes, traditions, and people that have shaped my own life while documenting a rapidly changing rural culture.

Whether working close to home or across the country, my goal is the same: to create photographs that endure beyond the moment they were made. I hope viewers leave my work with a deeper appreciation for the richness of ordinary lives and with the conviction that every person has a story worth preserving.

The North Light Gallery at UUCL, which is located in the historic Founder’s Hall, hosts art exhibitions by local and regional artists and groups will rotate on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. The gallery is open every Sunday morning from 9:30 until 12:30 and by appointment. For information on exhibiting please check out our Exhibition Guidelines and apply using this link.