Carlos W. Byron

Carlos W. Byron, a master draughtsman, celebrated calligrapher, and gifted commercial and fine artist whose career spanned more than five decades, passed away at his home in Boston on July 17, 2025. He was 78.

Born on May 24, 1947, in Norfolk, Virginia, Carlos was the only child of Effie May Hewks and Ulysses Byron, Jr. His artistic journey began early and took shape in New York City, where he graduated from the Art and Design High School and later earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Phoenix School of Design (Pratt Institute).

Carlos launched his career in 1965 as a fashion illustrator for the House of Valentine. Over the years, his versatility and vision were sought after by corporations, publishers, and magazines. His work included advertising storyboards, fashion layouts, annual reports, medical and editorial illustrations for outlets such as Black Enterprise, National Review, and USA Today. Notably, he contributed to the original Glad Bags promotional campaign.

His wide-ranging creative pursuits led him to serve as Executive Art Director at Wild Boar and Great American T-Shirt companies in the 1980s, where he pioneered the four-color ink printing process on black t-shirts. A founding member of the Society of Scribes, Carlos was a virtuoso calligrapher and received the Master Scribe Award from the organization in 1998. He also completed scribe work for the American Bible Society.

Later, Carlos relocated to Boston, where he became Artist-in-Residence at the National Center for Afro-American Artists (NCAAA). He was also a beloved mentor and art teacher for ten years at Boston Latin School and he continued to teach art in Boston public and private schools, local colleges, and community centers through the years.

His artwork was showcased in solo exhibitions at the National Center for Afro-American Artists, the Harriet Tubman House, Chuck Turner Gallery at Northeastern University's African American Masters in Residency Program center, and Roxbury Community College's Resnikoff Gallery. His group exhibitions included exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum and the Newark Museum, where his work is also part of the permanent collection. Other collections include Lesley College, Hanover Insurance Co., Black Enterprise magazine, and numerous private collectors.

In Boston, his public art includes a ceramic mural at the Early Learning Center, and works displayed at Kittredge Park, Roxbury Crossing T Station, and the Dudley Street Public Library.

Later in life, Carlos embraced photography, traveling twice to Havana, Cuba, to document the city and its people. This body of work culminated in his final solo exhibition in 2023 at the AAMARP Gallery.

He was the subject of the documentary MCET: Renaissance Man, The Calligraphy of Carlos Byron, narrated by Barry Gaither. Among his honors, he received the Boston Public Schools Martin Luther King, Jr. Award and the Budweiser national artist of the year award.

Carlos Byron is survived by his wife, DC Walters; sons Christopher and Paul; son by marriage, Jaja; granddaughter, Phenix; and grandson by marriage, Imari. He leaves behind a legacy of artistic excellence, mentorship, and cultural contribution.

He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

His remains will be interred at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne