Grey, Abby Weed 1902-1983

Abby Weed Grey was born on October 23, 1902 to Henry and Emily Weed in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was educated at Vassar College, and in 1929 she married Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Edwards Grey, twenty years her senior. For the next 27 years she lived as an army wife, traveling on long, cross-country trips and entertaining. During that time, her husband invested in Western Railroad stocks and bonds. In 1956 Lieut. Col. Grey died of cancer in St. Paul.

In 1960 Mrs. Grey took her first trip around the world and began her search for innovative artists by meeting and working with local artists and collecting contemporary art to be shown in America. One year later she established The Ben and Abby Grey Foundation for the encouragement of art through the assembling of international collection of art for cultural exchange programs. Also in 1961 Mrs. Grey founded the "Minnesota Art Portfolio" (MAP) exhibit as an opportunity for artists to see original works by their Western counterparts. One artist Mrs. Grey took particular interest in was the Iranian artist-sculptor Parviz Tanavoli whom she met in 1961. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's Mrs. Grey initiated many projects including "Fourteen Contemporary Iranians" (1962-65), "Turkish Art Today" (1966-70), "Communication Through Art", and "One World Through Art." As her collection grew, she sought a place to exhibit it. In the spring of 1975 the Grey Foundation's donation to NYU saw the completion of the Grey Art Gallery & Study Center. On June 2, 1983 Abby Weed Grey died in St. Paul at the age of 80.