Ed Dwight: Concerto

1989 Ed Dwight, artist Bronze and stainless steel sculpture of musical instruments commissioned by the Folly Theater with a gift from Vera K. Patton. Ed Dwight, the first African American astronaut candidate, was born on the outskirts of Kansas City, Kansas, and attended Bishop Ward High School.  His father played second base for the Kansas City Monarchs.  Dwight joined the US Air Force in 1953, where he became a test pilot.  After earning a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Arizona State University in 1961, NASA selected Captain Dwight as an astronaut trainee in 1962.  After leaving NASA, Dwight turned his attention to art and metal casting; he earned a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Denver and gained a national reputation as a metal sculptor.