Arthur Nager received a MFA degree in photography from Visual Studies Workshop in 1976 and a BA in History and Psychology from the University of Rochester in 1970. During this time he worked at the George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography in the Exhibitions Department installing and cataloging the work of noted photographers under the direction of Harold Jones, Director of Contemporary Photography.
While at Visual Studies Workshop, Nager studied with Nathan Lyons and Syl Labrot who became important influences on his work. He accepted a teaching position and taught at the Center of the Eye in Aspen, Colorado and the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado from 1971–1973.
In 1973 Nager became Director of the Photography Program at the University of Bridgeport with the responsibility of developing both a fine art and commercial curriculum. He became a tenured Associate Professor and supervised the expansion of the program and the establishment of a photography lecture series that brought numerous photographers including Frederick Sommer, Arnold Newman, Ralph Gibson, Roman Vishniac, Lotte Jacobi and Mary Ellen Mark to the University.
Nager served as curator for many survey and solo photography exhibitions at the University of Bridgeport Art Gallery including a number of collaborative projects with the photography critic, A.D. Coleman. He received two Research Grants from the University in support of ongoing projects that led to solo exhibitions.
Arthur Nager was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant for study at Columbia University in a program supervised by the noted Art Historian, Theodore Reff. His research focused on the impact of photography on 19th century impressionism and the work of Edgar Degas.
He served as a visiting lecturer and artist at numerous art schools including The Nova Scotia College of Art, Trinity College and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville where an edition of his color prints was produced under the supervision of note printmaker, Perry Tymeson.
Nager has exhibited work in numerous solo and group shows including the Slater Memorial Museum, Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Texas Tech University, Housatonic College, and The Carriage Barn Art Center, New Canaan, CT, Praxis Photo Gallery, MN, The Griffin Museum, MA, Umbrella Arts and the Ilon Art Gallery, NYC. His solo exhibition Street Life was on display at Norwalk Community College in November of 2014.
His most recent solo exhibition was held at the ACTA International Gallery in Rome, Italy in July, 2023. The exhibit featured vintage work from Colorado in 1972.
His solo exhibition Times Square Photographs ran from May 3-June 3, 2017 at the Fahey/Bodell Umbrella Arts Gallery in NYC. The exhibit included a selection of large color prints from an ongoing project focused on this urban tourist destination. A catalog for the show includes a detailed analysis of the work by noted Art Historian, Bruce Glaser.
The Social Landscape – Connecticut Towns and Cities in Transition, was a large solo exhibition at Trinity College that featured his work documenting the changing architecture of former factory towns in the Naugatuck Valley.
Central Park Photographs was exhibited as a solo show at the Ilon Gallery in NYC, from October 12 - November 16, 2018. which accinoabued the publication of his book featuring work documenting the park over a ten year period.
Arthur Nager’s photographs are in the permanent collection of the George Eastman House, The South Street Seaport Museum, Kennebunk Museum, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and the Westport Art Collection, along with numerous academic institutions.
He currently works as a photographer and designer in Connecticut and NYC where he maintains a studio and continues to work on projects focused on the unique elements of the social landscape. He serves as an adjunct faculty member, teaching photography at Norwalk Community College.
CV and Exhibitions