Black History Month: Lauri Lyons

Posted by: Shorter    Tags:      Posted date:  February 13, 2010

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“Learn your craft, shoot what you really care about, and don’t give up.”

As a African American growing up, I really didn’t have a lot influences when it came to the arts. My parents weren’t really  into art or knew a lot about it. I didn’t have more many people telling me that art was cool or something to go into. Even when I decided to take it seriously and make it a career there was still a lack of African Americans in the field. In college there were maybe 10 of us in the whole department and I can’t say that I even remember us covering African American artists when we studied art history in any of my design an photography classes. We sort of had to find our on influences.
 
Since I’ve been working professionally, I’m always looking for more African American artists for inspiration. Its always great to see more of your people in your field. And there is even less female African American photographers around.
 

I was thrilled when I found out about Lauri Lyons. She’s a great inspiration. She grew up in the Bronx and earned her BFA in Media Arts from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1993. She has worked for BET, The Source, and Essence Magazine. In 2003 she was the first black woman to shoot a cover for Fortune Magazine and in 2006 shhe was the first African American female to be represented by a major stock photography agency, Getty Images.

Click here for her full biography.