Local artist Tyus finds niche market
Kofi Tyus could never find a Mother’s Day card with which he was truly satisfied. So one day, more than 30 years ago, he had the idea to create his own Mother’s Day card. Armed with a degree from Howard University’s art program and his passion for art, Tyus realized that there was a whole group of people who were being ignored in the gift card industry.
Kofi Tyus, opened Kofi Tyus Studios with the idea that he could sell his art to African Americans. In the mid-’70s, few cards catered to the African-American market.
Tyus began his journey into art years before the Mother’s Day when he couldn’t find the appropriate card. In high school, Tyus had always been very enthusiastic about art. One of his teachers noticed this unyielding passion and set up an interview with professor James Porter, head of the art department at Howard University. Tyus impressed Professor Porter and was awarded a scholarship to attend Howard. Upon graduation, Tyus tried to sell his art, but he could not find an outlet that would display it. He began making original gift cards and selling them at local stores– most of them Black-owned drugstores.
In the beginning stages of his business, Tyus continued to do freelance work and drew a few comics for local newspapers. “I had to do something to keep the bread on the table.”
