Growing up in the segregated South of the 1950s, most African-Americans at that time were expected to work in orange groves, or as garbage collectors and gardeners. Seeking better economic opportunities for themselves, a small group of painters from Fort Pierce (25 men and one woman) began painting crude, romanticized Florida landscapes of vivid sunsets, wind-swept palm trees, wetlands and red Royal Poinciana trees using vibrant hues of pink, green and purple and working very fast, and then selling the paintings for $20-$25 a piece from their cars and door-to-door - some before the paint was even dry.
Nearly 50 years later, these paintings that symbolized hope for a better life became valuable works of art by this group of painters who became known as Florida's Highwaymen. With little formal training, these artists created more than 200,000 paintings, most of which ended up in attics and garage sales until the paintings were rediscovered in the mid 1990s. The revival of the artists' works can be traced to an art dealer named Jim Fitch, who wrote an article for Antiques & Art Around Florida and it was Fitch who coined the term "The Highwaymen" in 1994. Known today as Florida's Highwaymen, the value of their work has soared and they are now recognized as American folk artists. Work that was once dubbed "motel art" now sells for $15,000-$20,000, and Governor Jeb Bush has several Highwaymen paintings created by James Gibson, one of the original 26 painters. In 2004, the Highwaymen were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame joining the likes of Ray Charles, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Robert Rauschenberg.
Florida's Highwaymen
Legendary Landscapes exhibit is on display in the Northern Trust Galleries in North Palm Beach located at 11301 U.S. Highway One and in Boca Raton located at 3100 North Military Trail. The free exhibit is open to the public beginning October 30 through November 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The work is from the private collection of Phil Materio, owner of McMow ArtGlass, Inc. in Lake Worth. For more information, please contact Jackie Gerbus at (561) 622-4600 or email
Jacqueline_Gerbus@notes.ntrs.com.