Brief Biography

Dan Perry is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist based in Waterloo, Iowa who works in a variety of media and scales from gallery-sized sculptures to monumental public artworks. He maintains a robust studio practice, exhibiting his artwork in museums and arts centers across the United States in over 50 group exhibitions as well as 10 solo shows. Notable venues include the Des Moines Art Center, Waterloo Center for the Arts, and the Spartanburg Art Museum. His work has been featured in national outdoor exhibitions across the country including the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit, SculptureWalk Sioux Falls, and Art on the Beltline in Atlanta. Dan has also completed 15 large-scale public sculpture commissions throughout the region. Dan’s most recent projects have been at the new Clive Public Safety Building in Clive, Iowa and at Railroad Park in Historic Valley Junction in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Dan works to educate the public on the importance of the arts and how communities can integrate arts in meaningful ways. He provides a unique perspective drawing from his experiences as a practicing professional public artist, an active member of public art committees and as a teacher. Dan also serves on several arts committees in the region.

Currently, Dan teaches sculpture and is the Coordinator of the Public Art Incubator (PAI) at the University of Northern Iowa, a unique program where students can engage with professional artists in the production of their commissioned public art projects. Students are hired to assist in the fabrication of the artwork and work alongside of professional artists – providing a professional experience before they graduate.

Artist Statement

The imagery in my work is an amalgamation of the familiar and the abstract composed in ways that tell a story to which the viewer becomes a witness – part of a scene; a moment suspended in time. I draw inspiration from natural, architectural and mechanical objects while utilizing vibrant color to accentuate forms and spaces.

Shifts in scale and perspective challenge the viewer to question their physical relationship to the world around them and contemplate their surroundings. I believe in form, invention, and objects well made.