Join MoCA CT on Thursday, August 21, from 6 to 7 p.m. for Arthur Nager: America in the ’70s – Documenting a Decade Through Photography, a special presentation exploring the cultural and visual landscape of 1970s America through the lens of acclaimed photographer Arthur Nager. Known for his striking black-and-white imagery and intuitive approach to capturing everyday life, Nager will share work from his cross-country travels, offering insights into a pivotal era in American history and photography.

Throughout a 50-year career as an artist and photo educator, Arthur Nager has focused on documenting the social landscape—the people, structures, and places that reflect the character of where and how we live. His goal has been to capture the details of our evolving culture to convey what is timeless and constant in our lives.

This presentation includes a survey of his black-and-white photographs from the 1970s, made during trips across the country, capturing aspects of the unique cultural landscape and the evolving photographic approach to the medium of the time.

Arthur Nager’s work incorporates chance, circumstance, and premonition with the element of irony. Relying on intuition, he enables the viewer to experience a moment in time—to look past the initial painterly impact of color, scale, and form to extract meaning that is sometimes implied or disguised.

Nager’s work is part of educational and museum collections including The International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House; the South Street Seaport Museum; the Museum of Art, Santa Cruz; and the Kennebunk Museum in Maine. His recent 2025 exhibit at the Mattatuck Museum featured work documenting the towns of the Naugatuck Valley from 1988 to 2024.