The Orange County Regional History Center is hosting a special meet and greet with artists from the renowned Florida Highwaymen.
The Highwaymen are a group of 26 self-taught, African-American landscape artists that have worked together since 1951, in the height of the segregated South. They were known for painting landscapes, mostly around Fort Pierce, and selling them door-to-door and from the trunks of their cars on the A1A.
Meet the artists from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 2 at the Orange County Regional History Center. Click HERE to RSVP for this free event.
My father had a one of the Highwaymen come to our house after work one day in 1959. The man looked at Dad and Mom and is 4 kids (I was a baby) but Dad and Mom both told me he looked at the brick wall a d said he had something in mind. Dad was in construction and told him he wanted something that represented the natural Florida- unblemished. Dad said the man smiled and left . Weeks later he stopped by Dads site where he was and showed him the painting he thought of. Dad loved it, he said, gave the man a lift home and paid him and brought the painting home. Dad said the paint was almost dry when he got it and that was in Cocoa Fl. 1959-60. Although both my folks have past it still resides in the family.