Ayo Scott was born from and into art. By age 7, he'd cast bronze and made paper from blue jeans under the tutelage of his renowned father, Macarthur fellow John Scott. A lifelong resident of New Orleans, Ayo attended St. Augustine High School for a year, graduating from Ben Franklin in 1998. On any given day, Ron Bechet, Martin Payton, Ellis Marsalis and a host of other artists could be found at the Scott home talking art and inspiring Ayo’s path. Scott received his bachelor’s of art from Xavier University in 2003, continuing his master’s degree at The Institute of Design in Chicago, although he would ultimately leave the program after Hurricane Katrina to rebuild his parents’s home. Ayo’s early series spoke to his journey as the son of an artist, the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean and his own post-Katrina reclaiming of New Orleans. Collectively with friends, Ayo started his design and clothing company, NOYO Designs Inc. and an open mic showcase highlighted by spoken word poetry, music and visual art named Pass It On in tribute to his father’s mantra. A favorite of many for his portraits of New Orleanians, Ayo’s most recognizable works are his large-scale murals along Homer Plessy Way, on the wall of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and at Louis Armstrong Airport memorializing Leah Chase and several other places around the city of New Orleans. Over the years, Scott has worked in commercial graphic design while building on his art. His work incorporates digital design, paint, wood, cloth, paper, and found objects.
