Edward E. Parker’s journey through the arts began when he was in the fourth grade in Toledo, where he studied at the Toledo Museum of Art. He earned his bachelor's degree from Central State University and his master's degree in Art Education at Kent State University.
Parker taught art education in the Cleveland Public Schools and at Cuyahoga Community College for nearly 20 years.
In 1982, he purchased a vacant 25,000-square-foot building on Euclid Avenue in East Cleveland as his studio and a place to showcase his art. In 2017, the space was formally designated as a museum, becoming the Edward E. Parker Creative Arts Complex.
