Carl Grupp earned a B.F.A. in painting, with a minor in printmaking, from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1964.  In 1965 he traveled through Europe and studied at the Art Student Vrije Academie in The Hague, Netherlands. He went on to earn an M.F.A. with honors in printmaking and a minor in drawing from Indiana University in 1969.  Grupp participated in over 100 regional, national, and international art exhibitions since 1961, with dozens of one-man shows.

And while his exhibition record and accolades would be the envy of any full-time professional artist, Grupp was also a dedicated arts educator.  From 1969 until 2004, Grupp was a professor at Augustana College, where he helped to inspire, develop and guide the careers of several generations of artists who have gone on to become major forces in South Dakota, the region, and beyond.  While he was at it, he also founded the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery, with its ambitious exhibitions program and permanent art collection, and also chaired the art department from 1986-2002.  

The Carl Grupp Collection at Eide/Dalrymple Gallery includes works of Picasso, Chagall, Winslow Homer, Whistler, Matisse and Rouault. Recently retired art professor emeritus Carl Grupp is a nationally acclaimed printmaker and was instrumental in developing and expanding Augustana University's prestigious print collection, one of the most important collection of European and American original prints in the Midwest.

Carl passed away peacefully with family by his side and surrounded by close friends in May 2019.