Born on June 1, 1918 in New York City, Terry Mihlrad has been an acclaimed artist for decades. In 1940, he completed his studies at the Pratt Institute with concentrations in commercial and fine arts. After a stint with the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, Mihlrad worked as a commercial artist in a New York advertising agency. While working in the commercial realm, Mihlrad did not stop pursuing the fine arts and over the years he became increasingly interested in working with pastels. Mihlrad even went on to study the medium under Harold Stevenson, who had been a pupil of Norman Rockwell. After this artistic awakening, Mihlrad began to showcase his art in more venues, particularly in galleries around New Jersey and New York.