Nancy Callan: Forces at Play

October 5, 2024 - Summer 2025

Exhibition Overview

Seeing glass through the eyes of Nancy Callan is a delight and experiencing the material through her work is a master class in the artistic process. Her elegant, playful designs are inspired by a seemingly limitless visual vocabulary and are executed with extraordinary technical expertise. Nancy Callan: Forces at Play, Callan’s first museum survey, will invite visitors to experience the multitude of ways Callan has used hot glass as a canvas for her perspectives on the world around her.

The exhibition will unfold through a series of thematic groupings that explore the sources of inspiration that have fueled Callan’s career: Pop Art and graphics, pattern and textiles, and nature and the wonders of the universe. Each thematic grouping is represented by a curated sequence of artworks, illustrating Callan’s conceptual development, and her exploration of form and pattern. These narrative themes are supported by studio vignettes, source material and video components, capturing the essence of Callan’s inspiration and process. The exhibition will also feature new work, created and documented in the Museum’s Hot Shop through a series of residencies.

Nancy Callan: Forces at Play celebrates the thoughtfulness, wit, and sense of wonder that are signatures of Callan’s work and invites viewers to see the medium of glass with the same curiosity and passion that have fueled Callan’s artistic career.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a hardcover catalog with contributions by Katie Buckingham, Gayle Clemans, and Kim Harty.

Featured Images

Image Credits

Nancy Callan (American, born 1964). Luminescence Droplet, 2021. Blown and etched glass; 17 x 14 x 14 inches. Photo by Russell Johnson, courtesy of the artist.
Nancy Callan (American, born 1964). Cosmic Waves, 2023. Blown and slumped glass; 30 × 21 × 1 in. Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Russell Johnson.
Nancy Callan (American, born 1964). Mystique Stinger, Made at the Museum in 2023. Blown glass. Photo by Russell Johnson.
Nancy Callan (American, born 1964). Ghost Oasis I, 2021. Blown and slumped glass; 27 x 18 ¾ x 1 inches. Photo by Russell Johnson, courtesy of the artist.
Nancy Callan (American, born 1964). Mod Candy Cloud, 2009. Blown glass; 12 x 18 ½ x 6 inches. Photo by Russell Johnson, courtesy of the artist.