Coy Avon Seward

American, 1884-1939

BiographyCoy Avon Seward, known to his friends as C.A. or Seward, left behind a broad legacy: that of a skilled illustrator and commercial designer, an inexhaustible mentor and promoter of the arts, and as an author. Throughout his life Seward worked as a commercial artist and illustrator by day and pursued his own personal fine art in the evenings and during weekend or vacation sketching trips

By 1906, at the age of 22, C.A. Seward had begun his career as a commercial artist in his home town of Chase, Kansas. His portfolio and reputation grew quickly. By 1907, he opened his commercial art studio in Wichita, Kansas. In 1909 Seward was hired as the Art Editor for Kansas Magazine. In this capacity he not only designed all the cover art but also began what became another one of his lifelong endeavors, writing about art. By 1910 Seward expanded his design studio to include an art school and renamed it the Southwestern School of Art. A job opportunity and the needs of his growing family, soon inspired him to close this studio and art school to become the Manager of the Art Department for Capper Engraving. He remained with the Capper 8 years. He opened his own freelance commercial art studio combined with an art school as well as an exhibition and sales gallery. His new Seward Studio was acclaimed by the Wichita newspaper as something one might experience in Greenwich Village in New York. During this time Seward also became very involved with others in founding the Wichita Art Association. As the first Secretary-Treasurer he worked to develop the exhibition and art class programs. After these programs became established Seward then closed his own school and studio in 1923 to become the Director of Art for the Western Lithograph Company. He held this position for 16 years until his death in 1939 at the age of 54.

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