This story was done for my photojournalism class. I had seen this guy around town many times but had never known who he was or what he did. He was always interesting to me and stood out among others so I asked if I could interview him for a portait assignment, he agreed, and this is what I got.
Matthew Byrnes takes time from his busy schedule Sunday, March 3, 2013, at Acoustic Café in Winona, Minn. Local coffee shops are a place for Byrnes to relax when he’s not volunteering, teaching, or playing music. (Photo by: Amber Grace)
Roots stemming from the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minn., Matthew Byrnes has been living in larger cities for the majority of his life, until a year and a half ago when he moved to Winona, Minn.
Byrnes moved to Winona after falling into a local volunteering gig at the Winona Catholic Worker House. As a live-in volunteer Byrnes helps to cook and clean for the house and welcomes homeless people who choose to stay there. The house provides laundry, food, and beds for up to five homeless people.
Byrnes also volunteers on local farms in the summer in exchange for produce to feed volunteers and guests at the Catholic Worker House. They don’t buy much food at the house most of it is donated.
“One thing I enjoy about living at the house is waiting for food to come to us,” said Byrnes.
Before moving to Winona, Byrnes graduated from Hamline University in Minneapolis, Minn. with a degree in education and religious studies. After college, he taught math at an alternative school in South Minneapolis. He enjoyed it, but it became frustrating when an entire class of students would be absent several days a month.
Byrnes is passionate about religion and is involved in the Quaker religion. He attends meetings in Winona, where their main focuses are activism for women’s and GLBT rights.
Byrnes has played musical instruments since age six. He is a self-taught musician, playing banjo in his solo career as well as in a local band, The May North. Byrnes plays at local bars such as Ed’s No Name Bar and Broken World Records, as well as some small town Wisconsin Bars. He has also played at Boats and Bluegrass and Midwest Music Festival, in Winona.
Byrnes continues teaching in Winona at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts on St. Mary’s University Campus. There he teaches lessons on piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele.
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