A man whose resume reads: former Air Force Test Pilot, America's first African American Astronaut Trainee, computer systems engineer, aviation consultant, restauranteur, real estate developer, and construction entrepreneur can best be described as a true "renaissance man". Ed Dwight has succeeded in all these areas. However, for the last twenty five years Ed has focused his direction on fine art and sculpture projects. Since his art career began in 1976, Dwight has become one of most prolific and insightful sculptors in America.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, Ed left in 1953 to join the U.S. Air Force. After basic and pilot training, he served as a military pilot and obtained a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Arizona State University. In 1961, Dwight was chosen by President John F. Kennedy to enter training to become the first Black astronaut. After completing Experimental Test Pilot School, he entered the Aerospace Research Pilot Course and qualified as an astronaut.

Ed's first serious artistic endeavor began with a commission to create a sculpture of George Brown, Colorado's first Black Lt. Governor. This was soon followed by a second commission by the Colorado Centennial Commission; A series of bronzes entitled "Black Frontier Spirit in the American West" which depicted the contribution of African Americans to the opening of the West. Few facts were known about Black pioneers, explorers, trappers, farmers, and soldiers, so Ed, using his unique artistic style, opened the minds of viewers to this unknown history of the American West. The series of 30 bronzes was on exhibit for several years through-out the U.S., and gained widespread acceptance and critical acclaim.

After Ed's notable "Black Frontier Spirit Series," at the behest of the National Park Service in St. Louis, he began to explore the history of Jazz in America, as a significant Black contribution to the culture of America. He studied the African culture and ancestral imagery and found that an African's life in America was music as an art form. This led to Ed's study of his next major series of bronzes, "Jazz: An American Art Form". This series depicts the evolution of jazz music from its roots in Africa to the contemporary jazz superstars of the jazz era, and focuses on this style as a pure American musical idiom. Elements of the Jazz series are on display at major galleries and museums throughout the U.S. and has received critical acceptance internationally. This series of over 70 bronzes features many works focusing on the African tribal contributions, then presents such great jazz performers as Mile Davis, Charlie Parker, "Satchmo" Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Benny Goodman.

Ed's childhood dream was to be an artist, however, his life experiences really shaped him into the prolific artist he is today. His company, Ed Dwight Studios, Inc., has developed into one of the largest single artist production and marketing facilities in the Western U.S. His innate ability to create life and breathe soul and mobility into his works, provides collectors with a unique and spectacular work that involves the viewer in the creative process. The "negative space" concept, which was developed by Ed early in his career, can be seen throughout his Jazz Series. This concept has been emulated by many artists, and today is commonplace in the art universe. Today Ed is moving into new areas, still creating new concepts in art while continuing to enchant the public with his unique gift of story telling through his hands, as a sculptor.

Ed has been inundated with public art projects throughout the country. He unveiled four major monuments in 2001 including the first bi-national monument in Detroit, MI and Windsor, Canada dedicated to the International Underground Railroad Movement; the African American History Monument on the Capitol Grounds in Columbia, SC, and a memorial to the first Black legislator in Ohio, George Washington Williams, installed in the State Capitol in Columbus, OH.

            He has created the largest memorial to date, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Denver, CO. It contains 22 sculpture images and includes much of Dr. King’s rich legacy. This was followed by the first Dr. King Memorial in the State of Maryland. Ed’s most recent  unveiling was the Soldier’s Memorial, on the campus of Lincoln University, in Jefferson City. MO.  It is composed of eight sculptural elements honoring the Black Civil War soldiers of the 62nd & 65th Infantry Regiments that founded Lincoln University.

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