Gary Monroe, the foremost authority on the Florida Highwaymen, will be signing his book: The Highwaymen: Florida’s African-American Landscape Painters at A Step Back in Time, 60 San Marco Avenue, on Saturday, June 15 from 3:00 to 5:30 pm.
The Florida Highwaymen, are a group of 26 African-American landscape artists (25 men and 1 woman) from the Fort Pierce, Florida area who painted brilliantly colored landscapes from the mid-1950s through the 1980s. Early on, unknown African-American artists were excluded from the traditional world of art shows and galleries. Although facing racial and cultural barriers in the "Jim Crow" South, they rose above those attitudes. Art was a craft, a way to earn a living.
These self-taught artists painted from their garages and backyards using ... view more »
The Florida Highwaymen, are a group of 26 African-American landscape artists (25 men and 1 woman) from the Fort Pierce, Florida area who painted brilliantly colored landscapes from the mid-1950s through the 1980s. Early on, unknown African-American artists were excluded from the traditional world of art shows and galleries. Although facing racial and cultural barriers in the “Jim Crow” South, they rose above those attitudes. Art was a craft, a way to earn a living.
These self-taught artists painted from their garages and backyards using inexpensive Upson board framed with carpenter’s trim. The Highwaymen’s technique allowed them to produce paintings quickly and effectively. They made a living by traveling throughout the south-eastern coast of Florida, selling paintings “door-to-door” to businesses and residences. They thrived as artists and entrepreneurs through their sheer determination to succeed as painters, not as laborers in citrus groves–a common vocation for many African-American workers in Florida at the time. Together, it is estimated that they created over 200,000 paintings. In 2004, based on Mr. Monroe’s nomination, the Highwaymen were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.
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