Spirit in the Light Media
Chronology
Early Years
This is the most accurate account of a chronological account of Cary Beth Cryor's whereabouts gathered from curriculum vitae's, exhibitions, hand written letters, and publications from her own artifacts, and documented records. New information will only be added upon confirmation.
1947
Born on November 19, 1947 in Baltimore, MD
1965
Earned her diploma from Baltimore City Public School system from Forest Park high school on June 16, 1965
1967
Research student at Johns Hopkins hospital
1968
Studied photography at Maryland Institute of Art
1968
Featured photographer at the Baltimore Outdoor Arts Festival
1968
Served as Assistant Student Photographer at The Rouse Company
1969
On June 2, 1969, Cryor proudly earned her Bachelor of Science undergraduate degree from Morgan State College in Art Education
1969
Served as photojournalist for The Afro-American Newspapers
1969
Featured photographer for The American Black Artists group exhibition, Baltimore, MD
1969
Served as Photography Assistant at Channel 26 WETA-TV, Howard University, Washington, DC.
1969
Featured photographer at Four-Man show at Channel 26 WETA-TV, Howard University, Washington, DC
1970
Served as Assistant Art Director for campus publications at Pratt Institute
1970
Served as Photography Assistant at Triguenos, Inc.
1970
Featured photographic essay at Pratt Manhattan Center
1971
Submitted Thesis Student Exhibition at Pratt Institute
1971
Graduated from Pratt Institute on June 2, 1971 with Master's of Fine Arts in Photography
1971
Taught Photography in the fall at Fordham University, Bronx, NY
1971
Served as Assistant Film Editor for Third World Cinema Productions, Kelly-Jordan Enterprises, and Professional Films, Inc.
1972
Taught photography, Saturday classes at Cooper Union College, New York
1972
Featured photographer at The James VanderZee Institute at University of Ohio
1972
Featured photographer for exhibition "Masculine and Feminine" for The Soho Photo Gallery, New York
1974
Received screen credit as Assistant Film editor for movie, Claudine released April 1974 by Twentieth Century Fox, which starred Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones
1974
Received screen credit as Assistant Film Editor for movie Honeybaby, Honeybaby released October by Kelly-Jordan Productions, which starred Diana Sands and Calvin Lockhart
1974
Featured photography in publication catalogue Black Photographer's Annual Vol 2. Brooklyn, NY
1975
Cryor traveled to Detroit, Michigan and Minden, Louisiana to photograph her family, friends, and her travels
1976
Solo exhibition at the Minden Civic Center of Photographs by Cary Beth Cryor in Louisiana
1976
Featured photographer exhibition catalogue Black Photographer's Annual Vol 2. Brooklyn, NY
1976
Featured photographer in Twenty Black Women by Frances Beckles
1977
Traveled to Guyana with Bethel A.M.E. church tour to serve as official missionary photographer in Baltimore, MD
1977
Solo exhibition, "An Expression of Gratitude and Pride to Ancestors Who Have Carved My Future: A Photographic essay" of Minden, Louisiana at Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore, MD
1978
On the first Saturday of May, Cryor photographed the birth of her only daughter, Jazmin, during the delivery, Baltimore, MD
1978
Hired by Dr. Freeman Hrabowski III, Dean of Studies at Coppin State College as Assistant Professor of Fine Arts department
1978
Co-exhibition titled "Guyana and Back: Another View" along with John Mayden Clark, Baltimore, MD
1979
Solo exhibition of "Rites of Passage: A Photographic Exploration from the Mother's View" at Gallery 409, Baltimore, MD
1980
Featured photographer, exhibition catalogue Black Photographer's Annual Vol. 4. Brooklyn, NY
1985
Served as reference librarian at Baltimore County Towson Library and their Department of Corrections
1986
Featured photographer in publication of Viewfinders: Black Women Photographers created by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
1986
Obtained second Masters of Library Science in Archival and Special Collections from University of Maryland College Park (UMCP)
1987
Featured cover of "Hungry Children" photograph for the Black Arts Annual publication newsletter
1987
Began employment at The Afro-American Newspapers in Baltimore, MD as Assistant Archivist. She co-engineered the bibliographic indexed archive system to catalog well over three (3) million artifacts, photographs, and correspondence
1987
Recipient of Fulbright-Hays Group Study Abroad Fellowship to Benin, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Togo. This exploration concentrated on cloth weaving, textiles, and tie dyeing art forms and techniques
1987
Launched her own photography business named "Spirit in the Dark Productions" to offer high-quality photography to local, state and government agencies, Baltimore, MD
1988
Featured photographer in publication Black Photographers: An illustrated Bio-Bibliography: 1940- 1987 by Deborah Willis- Thomas
1988
Featured photographic exhibition "West African Images: A Study in Dignity" at Dundalk Community College, MD
1988
Began to serve as board member for the Joshua Johnson Council at the Baltimore Museum of Art, MD
1989
Traveled to Dakar, Senegal on a photographic exploration of a hair braiding conference titled "BILA: Braiding is Live Art"
1991
Launched her first annual travel tour "Coppin in Africa" designed to introduce her collegiate community whereby she returned to the West African coast, Senegal and Banjul, Gambia along with twenty-three (23) brave students including her own daughter
1992
Solo exhibition of "Tools of Time: The Hands of Carrie Bryant Tillman" at James Madison University at New Image Gallery in Harrisonburg, VA
1992
Organized all travel arrangements for eight (8) Coppin professors and a one-hour self-produced video in the attendance of the "African-Americans and Europe" conference in Paris, France
1992
Appointed board member of the Baltimore Film Forum, Inc., MD
1993
Featured photographer in "States of the Art, National Juried exhibition of Women Artists A.I.R. Gallery, New York. NY
1994
Solo exhibition of "Her Hands: Evidence of Woman's Work" at the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
1994
Featured photographer for "Proof Positive: Photographs of People Who Are HIV+" at Maryland Art Place (M.A.P.) Baltimore, MD
1996
Solo exhibition of "Birth, Death, and Some Life in Between: A Capsule" A.I.R. Gallery, New York, NY
1996
Featured photographer in "Visual Griots: Works by Four African-American Photographs" Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
1996
Exhibition catalogue "Visual Griots: Works by Four African-American Photographs" Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery (UMBC)
1997
Ms. Cryor was rushed to Good Samaritan hospital while her medical team used all exhaustive measures, she succumbed to complications of a rare kidney disorder, Amyloidosis on September 20, 1997 in Baltimore, MD
1997
Ms. Cryor was pubically commemorated with video footage memorial on what would have been her 50th birthday in the auditorium of the Baltimore Museum of Art where the celebration was originally planned
1997
Last known unseen exhibit "Cshootout" and visual exhibition of the similarities of a camera and gun
2000
Featured photographer in "Framing the Exhibition: Multiple Constructions at Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery (UMBC) A group exhibition of 37 prints 1928-1997 from the Library's Special Collections
2001
Featured photographer in "Light2: Images from Photography Collections. A group exhibition between Cryor and Ronald L. Freeman, Baltimore, MD
2002
Featured photographer in "A Visual Legacy: The Art of Maryland's Historically Black Colleges and Universities" A group exhibition which included Cryor, James Edward Lewis, Ken Royster, Ernest R. Satchell, Baltimore, MD
2002
Featured photographer in Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to Present by Deborah Willis
2006
Featured photographer in publication Photography Books Index III: A Subject Guide to Photo Anthologies by Martha Kriesel
2014
Featured photographer in publication Black: A Celebration of a Culture by Deborah Willis
2016
Featured photographer in group exhibition curated by Larry "Poncho" Brown, Baltimore, MD
2023
Featured photographer in group publication Supervision: On Motherhood and Surveillance by Sophia Hamacher with Jessica Hackney