Esteemed DSC photo alumni to be featured at entrepreneurial speaker event

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2014) – Two graduates of Daytona State College’s School of Photography who have earned worldwide acclaim will share their insights on Tuesday, Oct. 21, during the L. Gale Lemerand Entrepreneurial Speaker Series presented by the college’s Small Business Development Center; free, all welcome.

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Stephen Crowley and Lawrence Cumbo, producer, writer and owner of the iconic Opera House LIVE in Shepherdstown, W.Va., together will present two sessions – first at 10 a.m. at Daytona State’s News-Journal Center at 221 N. Beach St. in downtown Daytona Beach and again at 6 p.m. in the Mori Hosseini Center on the college’s main campus at 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Both presentations are free and open to the public.

The event is part of reunion activities and exhibitions celebrating the 50th anniversary of Daytona State’s School of Photography and the 35th anniversary of its Southeast Museum of Photography (SMP).

Crowley, a 1975 Daytona State graduate, is considered one of the major influences working in photography today and has distinguished himself with exhibitions of his work in shows at the Library of Congress, the National Geographic Society, the Corcoran Art Museum and the SMP.

In 2002, Crowley was named “Photographer of the Year” by the White House News Photographers Association for a portfolio that included his essays “Voices of Afghanistan” and “A Day in the Life of President Bush.” In 2002, the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography was awarded to Crowley and four other photographers at The New York Times for work produced during the war in Afghanistan. That same year he received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C., and in 2005, American Photo Magazine included Crowley on its list of the 100 Most Important People in Photography.

Cumbo is a 1992 graduate of Daytona State and forged a successful career as a documentary filmmaker, writer and producer before purchasing one of America’s oldest movie theaters four years ago and transforming it into a cultural arts landmark. The music and movie venue is the home of the Smithsonian Channel music series Opera House LIVE! Cumbo is also an executive producer with his production company, CumboMedia, which has delivered programming for the Smithsonian Channel, National Geographic Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery, TLC, A&E and more. Cumbo also served as an executive producer for overseas media companies.

In 2002, he filmed, wrote and produced “Search for the Afghan Girl,” the headline-making story of Afghan refugee Sharbat Gula, whose photograph first appeared on the cover of the National Geographic magazine in 1985. The film was nominated for an Emmy and has won several awards, including a CINE Golden Eagle Award and a Gold World Medal at the New York film festivals.

To register for the event or for additional information, call (386) 506-4723.

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