Jimmy Wright, born in 1944, is a Kentucky native. He earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1967. Upon graduation, he received the George D. Brown Travel Fellowship, which enabled him to study and travel in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Wright earned an MFA from Southern Illinois University in 1971. His work is on exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in the exhibition, "The Lens and the Mirror: Self-Portraits from the Collection, 1957-2007."
The Springfield Art Museum, Missouri organized the survey exhibition, "Jimmy Wright, Twenty Years of Paintings and Pastels." DC Moore Gallery, New York and Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL have presented several solo exhibitions of his work and represent the artist.