"The Last Great American Art Movement of the 20th Century"

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The Story of the Highwaymen Artists (A Brief Overview)

The Highwaymen Artists are a group of 26 African American artists from Fort Pierce, Florida, and its surrounding areas. The group consists of 25 men and 1 woman. The origins of these artists can be traced back to the 1950s when several of the original members began creating landscape oil paintings. A renowned white artist from Fort Pierce, Florida, Albert E. (Beanie) Backus, who primarily painted Florida land and seascape oil paintings, mentored some of the group's earliest artists.

The young African American artists discovered that they could earn a living selling their art rather than working in the farm fields as laborers. Alfred Hair, one of the original members, organized the efforts of many of the artists to collaborate in a production-oriented assembly line type setting at his residence in Fort Pierce, Florida. Their objective was to produce a large quantity of paintings quickly, frame them with self-made crown mold frames, and sell them directly to the public. They primarily painted on inexpensive upson board, a construction wallboard material, instead of traditional canvases. They bypassed mainstream art galleries, stores, and museums that refused to accept their paintings, and instead sold their paintings directly to the public on the streets and door to door to businesses, hotels, tourists and local residents. The paintings sold for approximately $10 to $40. Often they sold so quickly that the paint was still wet.

The members of the group were largely self-taught. As the artists honed their individual styles and techniques, their paintings gained popularity, leading to the creation of numerous masterpieces painted at a slower pace by some of the members of the group, often through commissions.

In 1970, Alfred Hair, the organizer of the assembly line painting process, was tragically gunned down in a bar room dispute at Eddie’s Place, a small pool bar on Avenue D in Fort Pierce. This tragic event marked the end of the assembly line production of paintings. Following Hair’s death, the other artists primarily painted in small gatherings or alone. Some paused their efforts to seek other careers.

In 1994, Jim Fitch, a collector of Florida art, coined the term “Highwaymen Artists” to describe these gifted African American artists. The name was derived from their frequent practice of selling their paintings from the backs of their vehicles on Florida’s highways. The name resonated and has endured to this day. In 2004 they were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall Of Fame as a group. A permanent collection of their paintings is in the Smithsonian Institute. Their artwork has been displayed in many prominent places such as the White House, US State Department locations, the Florida Governor's Mansion, many galleries, museums and public displays throughout Florida. Their paintings have also been displayed in locations outside of Florida such as North Carolina, New York City and as far away as Canada.

The Highwaymen Artists are renowned for their vibrant and picturesque landscapes, often depicting the Florida Everglades, swamps, beaches, rivers, full moons, wildlife, sunrises and sunsets. They developed distinctive styles that emphasized the natural beauty of Florida’s scenery, and are now considered historical depictions of Florida's past. Each artist possesses a unique voice and story to convey, yet collectively, they created “The Last Great American Art Movement of the 20th Century.”

It is estimated that as many as 250,000 paintings were created by these talented artists. Over time, with their works having garnered significant recognition and demand, some of the more desirable paintings are fetching tens of thousands of dollars, and their values continues to appreciate.