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Art in FloridaBlack Artists

Florida Highwaymen Exhibit at Elliott Museum in Stuart, FL

By Chadd ScottPosted on March 10, 20230 Comments
“Brilliant Nature” by James Gibson, 24” x 36” on Upson.
“Brilliant Nature” by James Gibson, 24” x 36” on Upson. Circa 1960s. Private collection Florida Highwaymen painting. Courtesy of Elliott Museum.

In the 1950s during the Jim Crow era, African-American self-taught artists from the Treasure Coast began painting Florida’s vivid landscapes, looking for a better way to earn a livelihood. Coined as the “Highwaymen,” they sold their art out of their car trunks as they traveled the highways, leading to their nickname. Today, Highwaymen paintings have deservedly earned a place to hang in the Smithsonian, and all of the Highwaymen artists are represented in the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. A new Florida Highwaymen exhibit opens at the the Elliot Museum in Stuart, FL March 11, 2023.

The “Highwaymen—From the Street Corner to the Smithsonian” exhibition includes paintings that have never before been exhibited. While many of their paintings focus on well-known Florida landscapes and poinciana trees, the focus of some of these exhibit paintings tell a story as they depict people from the 1950s, animals and intimate vistas.

This Florida Highwaymen exhibit will feature an extensive “Canvas Board Wall” of their early works, including Harold Newton, one of the founding members, along with a Tribute Wall to Roy McLendon, who was inspired by Newton, his neighbor. The Florida Highwaymen exhibit will be on display through July 14, 2023.

WHERE: The Elliott Museum, 825 Ocean Blvd., Hutchinson Island, Stuart

WHEN: Opening weekend: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., March 11 and 12

Included throughout the weekend — live painting demonstrations by Roy McLendon, one of only seven living Highwaymen artists, gallery walks conducted by noted collectors Roger Lightle and Steve Carr, a film crew will be on site taking footage for a documentary, and a presentation and book signing by Catherine Enns, author of “The Journey of the Highwaymen”

FLORIDA HIGHWAYMEN FUN FACTS:

  • The Highwaymen’s unique tools consisted of oils, tree trunk easel, Upson Board and their car trunks.
  • Painting and selling landscape art was an escape from working laborious jobs in factories and field work.
  • The Highwaymen painted Florida landscapes scenes in an hour or less, often selling the oil paintings before they were dry.
  • They made their own frames fashioned out of crown molding painted with house paint and highlighted with gold paint.
  • There were 26 original Highwaymen and only one female artist: Mary Ann Carroll.
  • The Highwaymen sold paintings themselves or hired salesmen to sell them to banks, motels, doctors and lawyers’ offices, restaurants, businesses and the general public throughout Florida. They usually charged $25 to $35 per painting. Some paintings today sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
  • Interest in their landscape art escalated when Jim Fitch coined the name “Highwaymen” in 1995.
  • It is estimated the Highwaymen have painted and sold more than 200,000 paintings.
Alfred HairBlack artistFlorida HighwaymenHarold NewtonRoy McLendon

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Florida Highwaymen Art

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A CLASSIC Julian Onderdonk #texas #hillcountry #bl A CLASSIC Julian Onderdonk #texas #hillcountry #bluebonnets painting, “Near San Antonio” (1918) at @sama_art. I have long said my dream den has an Onderdonk #bluebonnet painting. A Texan, he nailed the “feel” as only someone passionate for and intimate with that landscape could.
Following the bluebonnet painting are others from Onderdonk including from his time in New York, which I knew nothing about.
#visitsanantonio
Claude Monet and Joan Mitchell face-to-face about Claude Monet and Joan Mitchell face-to-face about 15-feet apart at @mcnayart @visitsanantonio #visitsanantonio.
McNay is one of my favorite small museums in the US, wonderful Modern art collection with MAJOR figures like these and many, many others (Hopper, Rivera, van Gogh, Gauguin, Modigliani, etc).
#monet #claudemonet #joanmitchell #modernart #painting
Helen Frankenthaler’s ‘Eden Revisited’ (1967 Helen Frankenthaler’s ‘Eden Revisited’ (1967-1976) sure to brighten your day, it did mine on a recent visit to @sama_art @visitsanantonio. Stunning, vivid, massive (10-plus-feet tall), expressive… up close you can see the paint stains. 
I see so much drama in this painting, so much certainty, confidence. Of all the past artists I could have met, @helenfrankenthalerfoundation would be high on the list.
#helenfrankenthaler #colorfieldpainting #greatwomenartists #femaleartist #womenshistorymonth #yellow #orange #painting #modernart #visitsanantonio
3 showstoppers from @_wiggins_ at @briscoemuseum @ 3 showstoppers from @_wiggins_ at @briscoemuseum @visitsanantonio. Kim’s mark making and color are instantly recognizable and I DIG it! 
#visitsanantonio #westernart #westernartist #santafe #cowboy #purple
Harold Newton (left) and Alfred Hair side-by-side Harold Newton (left) and Alfred Hair side-by-side at @tampamuseumofart. To learn more about the original Florida Highwaymen artist, click the link in my bio.
#floridahighwaymen #haroldnewton #alfredhair #florida #floridalife #floridaartist #floridaart #floridaartists #blackartist #floridahistory
OVERWHELMED by this exhibition of #purvisyoung art OVERWHELMED by this exhibition of #purvisyoung artwork on view at @tampamuseumofart! 
What most caught my eye were all the 18-wheelers. Are these a reference to “urban renewal” and the siting of I-95 through the heart of Young’s #overtown #miami neighborhood. 
As occurred across America during 1950s-80s, so-called urban renewal was a tactic used by white politicians to destroy thriving Black communities by running interstates through them to aide white suburbanites in getting to jobs in town faster.
Young experienced Overtown on both sides of #urbanrenewal and I can’t help thinking all these trucks are commentary on I-95.
#miamilife #tampa #tampaflorida #artmuseum #blackart #blackartist #blackartmatters #selftaughtartist
I was writing about @ronjonofficial for my “My F I was writing about @ronjonofficial for my “My Favorite Florida” column on Rovology.com travel site this morning. My first visit was 86ish, my most recent visit came last month. 
#ronjonsurfshop #ronjon #cocoabeach #cocoabeachflorida #surfing #surflife #80s #80sfashion
“Florida Highwaymen: Dashboard Dreams” closes “Florida Highwaymen: Dashboard Dreams” closes at @aebackusmuseum 2/26. Best chance all year to see original Florida Highwaymen paintings. 
More info about Highwaymen check link in bio.
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