Vietnam veteran and Canterbury resident James “Jim” Cryan will present a
retrospective exhibition of his photography and artwork at the Riverside Gallery at Belknap Mill Museum from April 1 through April 28, with an opening reception Friday, April 3 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Cryan served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970, including service in Vietnam in aerial
reconnaissance and combat surveillance, where his interest in photography first took shape.
After his honorable discharge, Cryan traveled to Ireland to reconnect with family in County
Clare, deepening his appreciation for landscape and heritage through the camera.
Over the years, Cryan has photographed throughout New Hampshire and coastal
Massachusetts — including Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket — as well as the
American Southwest and Melbourne, Australia. In the early 1980s, Cryan taught photography and later expanded into oil painting through study in Hancock, NH with the late Numael Pulido, a renowned oil painter and teacher. Cryan is an active member of the Lakes Region Artist Association, and the Mount Washington Valley Arts Association.
In 2013, Cryan returned to Vietnam for the first time since the war, an experience he describes as memorable and fulfilling with the warm reception of his host family.
The exhibit highlights a lifetime of work shaped by service, travel, and a deep connection to the natural world. Admission details are available through the museum.