Born in Rochester, New York, Edward Grady spent his formative years in New York and Pennsylvania before becoming the prolific artist he is today. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1971 and his Master of Arts in Education in 1976 from Fisk University in Nashville, TN. During his studies, he completed summer museum internships at the Smithsonian Institute and the Detroit Institute of Art and in the summer of 1970, he attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, MA. While there, he was strongly influenced by internationally renowned artist Jacob Lawrence. Upon completion of his Master of Arts, Grady completed a year’s internship at the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum in Rochester, NY.
After his internship, Grady accepted the position of Curator of Exhibitions and Education at the Museum of African-American Life and Culture at Bishop College in Dallas, TX. He also taught Studio Art, Art History and Art Appreciation courses at the college. After leaving Bishop, Grady taught in two Montessori schools in Dallas for 10 years. He would then spend the next 26 years as the Assistant Curator for the Melvin B. Tolson Black Heritage Center at Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma. While at Langston, Grady also taught art courses in the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences and Art Appreciation in the University’s Honors Program. He retired from Langston in June 2015 but maintains a residence in the city. Grady actively paints and most recently had work exhibited at the Owen Arts Place Museum in Guthrie.