Michael Ray Charles (1967- ) is an African-American painter born in Lafayette, Louisiana.
He received his B.A. at McNeese State College, Lake Charles, Louisiana. In 1992, he receives a teaching fellowship at the University of Houston. The next year, 1993, sees him receiving his M.F.A. He is teaching at the university and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. He also serves as an instructor at the Houston Mental Retardation Authority.
By 1994, he is a visiting artist at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He serves on the board of directors of the Texas Fine Arts Association in Austin, Texas. By now, he is a U of H alumni.
Since 1997, he has lived and worked as an assistant professor at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas.