Edna Andrade (1917-2008) was an American abstract artist, based in Philadelphia. She received a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from University of Pennsylvania, and a Master's of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, but before even achieving her Bachelors she studied at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. After receiving her masters, she actually worked for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) which was the CIA's predecessor organization. At the time the OSS was recruiting "creative types", which is where Edna came into the picture, helping to create everything from military films, training manuals, to propaganda posters. After the OSS, she moved back to Philadelphia to teach and work on her art. Her geometric style was largely influenced by her travels in Europe and exposure to the Bauhaus Movement. In America, she became a key figure in the Op Art Movement. Andrade was also influenced by multiple disciplines, particularly architectural design, mathematics and philosophy. Her works hang in numerous galleries like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., Philadelphia Museum of Fine Arts and more.
