Temporary Exhibitions | Nov, 2 2024 9:00AM - Apr, 6 2025 5:00PM
The Florida Highwaymen were a group of African American artists that worked throughout the South during the 1950s through the 1980s. While two of the Highwaymen, Al Hair & Harold Newton, were trained by landscape artist A.E. Backus, most lacked formal art training.
Unable to present their works in galleries because of Jim Crow laws in the South, the artists successfully sold their art to banks, medical offices, and collectors out of the trunks of their cars. Their distinctive style combines a lot of the same visual elements with distinctive color pallets. Artist Alfred Hair called his “fast style” because he could create unique paintings quickly so that he could sell more. The story of these successful artists illustrates the long-reaching effects of Jim Crow in Southern society and culture, and highlights the resilience of African Americans in the face of systemic inequality.
