Page 7 - Martin Downs Bulletin - December '21

Martin Downs, Page 7
Art Happenings from page 6 unique Highwaymen exhibit will remain on display until Feb.
24, 2022 at the Elliott Museum, 825 Ocean Blvd. in Stuart.
Nationally Acclaimed Many of these paintings have never before been on public
display because they come from a private collection.
“Highwaymen” Artwork At In addition to the exhibit itself, an art sale will be held
from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 4 along with a
The Elliott Museum
Hundreds of people recently attended the Elliott
Museum’s “The Highwaymen … Vistas and Visions” art
exhibit. Featuring more than 70 original paintings, the guests
came to appreciate the work of African-American self-taught
artists from the Treasure Coast, who began painting Florida’s
vivid landscapes dating back to the 1950s.
Coined as the “Highwaymen,” they sold their art out of
their car trunks as they traveled the highways, which led
to their nickname. Highwaymen paintings now hang in the
Smithsonian and several Highwaymen artists are represented
in the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.
Today, very few of the original 26 artists remain but,
fortunately, many of their paintings still do. Those who Pui and Roger Lightle stand before one of more than 70
missed the opening night receptions are in luck because this
The Highwaymen were known to sell their paintings from the
trunks and back seats of their cars in the early days.
Highwaymen paintings now showcased in the Elliott Museum.
Roy McLendon Sr., one of the original 26 Highwaymen, did
a live painting demo at the opening night reception.
Roy McLendon Jr., doing a live painting demonstration. He’s
pictured here using a palette knife.
gallery walk and talk by Highwaymen collector Roger
Lightle at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. At 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2022,
Lightle will deliver a presentation and Roy McLendon
Jr. will do a live painting demonstration. Ticket price is
regular museum admission for guests and $10 to members
for both events.
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.
For more information, call the museum at (772) 225-1961
or visit the website www.hsmc-fl.com.
About The Historical Society Of Martin County
Since 1955, the Historical Society of Martin County has
served as a guardian of local history and a cultural center
by operating the Elliott Museum (825 N.E. Ocean Blvd.,
Stuart) and the House of Refuge Museum at Gilbert’s Bar
(301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart), which opened in 1876
and served as a haven for shipwrecked survivors. The Elliott
Museum seeks to preserve and celebrate the region’s colorful
history by presenting an eclectic mix of traveling and rotating
permanent exhibits, lectures and experiential events. The
House of Refuge’s mission is to educate the public about the
historical significance of Martin County’s iconic landmark
and to ensure its historical integrity and preservation. For
more information, go online to www.elliottmuseum.org or
call (772) 225-1961.
See answer in this paper.
Art Happenings on page 8