Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Hoyes became a professional artist at age nine when he began making wood carvings and watercolors for his mother to sell to tourists. At age 15 he moved to New York to live with his father. Two scholarships enabled him to study painting and sculpture at the Vermont Academy. He received his B.F.A. from the California College of Arts and Crafts. In 1975 Hoyes came to Los Angeles to work as a designer at the California Museum of Science and Industry. He also played a role in the formation of what became the California Afro-American Museum. Since 1978 he has devoted himself to his art full-time, doing at least 10 exhibitions of his work each year. (Robin K. Dunitz, Street Gallery, Guide to over 1000 Los Angeles Murals)
