Jae Grady

35 year-old artist and musician Jae Grady was born in Chicago and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. His style is a hybrid of urban, street art influence and Kentucky folk art. An admitted fan of absurdity, Grady enjoys exploring human relationships through stylized images of nature and cartoon-like animals. Grady currently resides in the Germantown neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky.


“My piece is called 'On Star Hill' and was conceived from my curiosity about the origin of the star in the famous Maker's Mark seal. After researching I found that the star stood for Star Hill, where Maker's Mark Distillery sits. I then thought of how beautiful that area of Kentucky is during the fall, and wanted to capture the colors and the motion of the wonderful foliage we have. The oil pen drawing is done on layered glass and plexi-glass to add depth and presence, while the incorporation of the bourbon barrel stopper features the star icon (and a slight hint of bourbon barrel scent). My hope is that the viewer gets a feel for the colors and smells of an autumn visit to the Maker's Mark Distillery.”