Dan L. Price was born on September 28, 1946, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He departed from this life for his longest fishing trip yet on April 6, 2026, in Great Falls, Montana.
A man of many hats, Dan spent much of his years learning, teaching, making, and fishing. He graduated from Hays High School in 1964 with college prep and visual arts credits. He went on to Fort Hays State University to earn a Bachelor of Science in Visual Arts in 1967 and a Master of Science in Sculpture and Ceramics in 1968.
Dan moved to the University of Oregon to receive a second Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 1971. Throughout his nearly 30-year arts career, he taught at Fort Hays, the University of Oregon, the State University of New York in Geneseo, the College of Great Falls, and the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (The Square). In between his arts education, Dan worked for Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Alaska law enforcement, as a river outfitter or guide, and several security positions often within government or public services.
He helped initiate and then proceeded to teach the free Senior Drawing Class at The Square for 15 years, before assisting with rebuilding it as the current Senior Art Class running strong weekly. There were few parts of The Square that Dan did not repaint, repolish, restain, or restore. Next visit, take a pause to notice the polished brass corners in the stairwells and the freshly painted arches above, the ornate hinges and knobs on the original panel doors, and the brightened up basement.
Dan found displaying finished works an important final part in the making process, often filling the hallways with student works and collaborating on the creation and installations of recurring staff, student, and instructor exhibitions. In honor of his valuing of arts and community, the summer Urban Art Project spaces will have dedications to Dan and a display of his personal works. His ex late wife, Jean Price, founded these public art spaces in addition to being instrumental in creating The Square. He had great pride in honoring her through his continued contributions to them.
In addition, Dan was a weekly volunteer at The History Museum, working mostly in object collections and archives. Most recently, he was making custom archival housing for objects in the collection. A specialized fit to both preserve and highlight an important object, much like his many hand-carved, sanded, polished, and finished sculptural wooden boxes or containers made from wild-harvested wood.
Dan’s favorite days involved fishing, whether that was out on the Sun or Smith Rivers, Belt Creek, or Holter Lake. And perhaps equally as enjoyable for him was his simultaneous searching for rocks and wood to both admire nature’s beauty and find materials for making his work.
Much like his care for education, creation, preservation, and recreation, his friends invite all to come together to celebrate Dan Price on Saturday, August 1st from 10 am-12 pm at The History Museum. A behind-the-scenes kind of man, we bring his care and commitment to community forward, much like he did by sharing stories in a beloved place for a beloved man.
He came from a family of educators, and is survived by his sister, Corine Woods of Kansas City, and preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Hazel Price.
If interested in honoring Dan’s memory through volunteering or donations, his interests were in public radio, public land, and in education. Locally, this could include KGPR, The History Museum, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, and the City of Great Falls Animal Shelter.
He has now waded into a clear-running stream and is about to fly-cast to many large trout rising in a beautiful rippling river.
