Ed Ruscha was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1937 and grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, from 1941 to 1956. He moved to Los Angeles, California, and attended Chouinard Art Institute from 1956 to 1960. His work has been exhibited internationally and is represented in major museums and private collections throughout the world. In 2001, Ruscha was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Letters as a member of the Department of Art. He was chosen by the U.S. Department of State to represent the United States at the 2005 Venice Biennale.