current exhibition
Dan Dailey: Impressions of the Human Spirit
On view September 26 – February 2
Dan Dailey: Impressions of the Human Spirit is a retrospective examination of a transformative sculptor whose creative ideas and inventiveness expanded the vocabulary of art.
In the 1960s, Dailey was entrenched in the experimental San Francisco art scene, and was among the many discontented artists who rebelled against Abstract Expressionism. Desiring to tell stories and explore the human condition, Dailey turned to the figure and everyday life as a source of artistic inspiration. His chosen medium of glass, which was unfamiliar in the exclusive art world, was initiated by the resurgence of traditional crafts and the material-based teachings of the Bauhaus.
Dailey has maintained that experimental attitude and has stayed faithful to – while greatly expanding on – the traditions of craftsmanship, making his work groundbreaking and difficult to place within established art historical categories.
This exhibition is generously supported by Pamela A. Harvey. Additional support is provided by the Galena-Yorktown Foundation, the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, Patricia L. Wentworth, and Mark Fagan
ARTalk with Dan Dailey
Sunday, November 3 | 2 PM
Join artist Dan Dailey and exhibition curator Kurt Sundstrom for a lively conversation highlighting Dan Dailey’s storied career as a groundbreaking artist in glass and signature works selected for the Currier’s new exhibition Impressions of the Human Spirit.
Following the conversation, audience members may join Dan and Kurt in the exhibition for an up-close and personal look at the artwork.
Currier Members: $10, free museum admission
Adults: $30, includes museum admission
Senior (65+): $20, includes museum admission
Students (w/ ID): $20, includes museum admission
Youth (13–17): $10, includes museum admission
Children under 13 are always free
Dan Dailey, Brilliant, 2012. From the Individuals series. Blown glass, anodized aluminum. 23¾ x 17 x 14 inches. Photo by Bill Truslow.
Dan Dailey, Incredible, 2013. From the Individuals series. Blown glass, anodized aluminum. 22½ x 12 x 9½ inches. Photo by Bill Truslow.
Dan Dailey, Aquamotion Circus vase, 2018. Blown glass, nickel and gold-plated bronze, pate de verre, and lampworked glass. 45 x 26 x 17 inches. Photo by Bill Truslow.
upcoming exhibitions
past exhibitions
Archived material on past exhibitions can be explored further here, and recent past exhibition catalogues are available through the museum shop.
artist in residence
Our Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program invites artists to live and work at the museum. While in residence, artists consider the collection and community, and refresh our perspectives on the role of the museum. The program is central to the Currier Museum’s mission of connecting our audiences with art and creative thinking, whether of the past or the future. We hope to learn from our visiting artists – and be surprised by their perspectives.
Artists working in all media participate in the AIR program, which has three main components: 1) an open call to support emerging artists making socially engaged art; 2) an invitational through which artists are selected to develop special projects, commissions, or exhibitions; and 3) artist-led, community-centered public art projects in the city of Nashua, NH.
Open Call for Artist in Residence Applications
Our annual open call is currently live from October 1 – December 1, 2022. Artists who share the museum’s goal of positively impacting communities through the transformative power of art are encouraged to apply to this residency.