The skilled draughtsman, recognized calligrapher and talented commercial and fine artist Carlos W. Byron, whose career spanned more than five decades, died at age 78 on July 17 at his home in Boston.
Byron was born in Norfolk, Va., on May 24, 1947; he was the only child of Effie May Hewks and Ulysses Byron Jr. He began his creative exploration early and found a place in New York City, where he attended the Art and Design High School and earned his bachelor of fine arts from the Pratt Institute, Phoenix School of Design.
Byron was a true Renaissance man, with a career spanning more than 50 years. PHOTO: BYRON FAMILY
He began his career in 1965 as a fashion illustrator for the House of Valentine. Throughout the years, the adaptation and vision he had were the envy of corporations, publishers and magazines. Byron’s work consisted of advertising storyboards, fashion layouts, annual reports, and medical and editorial graphics. Publications such as Black Enterprise, National Review and USA Today have used his work. In particular, he also helped contribute to the original promotional campaign Glad Bags.
Byron served in a broad range of roles in his artistic endeavors, including executive art director at Wild Boar and Great American T-Shirt companies in the 1980s, introducing the four-color ink printing method on black T-shirts. Byron was also a founding member of the Society of Scribes and received the institution’s Master Scribe Award in 1998. He also produced scribe work for the American Bible Society.
Byron subsequently relocated to Boston, where he took on the position of artist-in-residence at the National Center for Afro-American Artists. In addition, he was a cherished mentor and art educator for 10 years at Boston Latin School, continuing to teach art throughout the years in the Boston Public Schools, private schools, colleges and community centers.
The art Byron created was on display in individual exhibitions at the National Center for Afro-American Artists (NCAAA), the Harriet Tubman House, the Chuck Turner Gallery at Northeastern University’s African American Masters in Residency Program center and the Resnikoff Gallery at Roxbury Community College. Byron’s collective exhibitions found a home at the Brooklyn and Newark Museums, where the works are part of their permanent collections. Additional collections can be found at Lesley College, Hanover Insurance Co., Black Enterprise magazine, and with numerous private collectors.
Byron’s public art in Boston includes a ceramic mural at the Early Learning Center of Boston as well as pieces installed at Kittredge Park, Roxbury Crossing T-Station and the former Dudley Street Public Library, now known as the Shaw-Roxbury Branch.
Photograph by Carlos Byron, “The Tourists, Chinatown Havana,” 2017 PHOTO: COURTESY OF BYRON FAMILY
In his later years, Byron took up photography, visiting Havana, Cuba, twice to document the city and its people. These photos culminated in his last solo exhibition in 2023 at the African-American Master Artists in Residence Program (AAMARP) Gallery at Northeastern University.
Byron was the central figure in the documentary “MCET: Renaissance Man, The Calligraphy of Carlos Byron,” narrated by Edmund Barry Gaither, director and curator of the NCAAA. He has received honors from the Boston Public Schools, the Martin Luther King Jr. Award and the Budweiser National Artist of the Year Award.
Byron was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War who leaves a legacy of artistic brilliance, mentorship and cultural impact.
He is survived by his wife, DC Walters; sons Christopher and Paul; son-in-law Jaja; granddaughter Phenix; and grandson-in-law Imari.
His interment will be at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. A memorial service will be held at a later time.
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