The Florida Highwaymen: La Florida, Re-found

The Studio@620 invites you to step into the world of the Florida Highwaymen as we revisit one of the first exhibitions presented at The Studio in 2005! As we launch our 20th year of creative programming we’re revisiting some highlights in addition to presenting new programs. We’re proud to present “La Florida, Refound”. This installation is an exhibit of beauty and speaks to the struggle for freedom and self-respect and is an Essential African-American art movement from the 1950’s Jim Crowe South.

Highwaymen artists were turned away during racist times by art galleries, so their marketplace became the roadways of Florida. They improvised using inexpensive wallboard for their canvases, and door molding was cut to make frames. They created a bold legacy of an idyllic primordial Florida that is now lost to time and the tools of man. Their vividly impressionistic landscapes speak to diversity, freedom, and the American dream; creating a stunning exhibit rooted in times of tumult, unrest, the space race, and the redefining of America. Young, bold, and resourceful, these artists paved their own destiny.

The exhibit opens with a reception on Saturday February 17 from 6-8PM. A talk with Dr. Renee Mills will happen at 3PM on Sunday, during gallery hours from 2-5PM. Admission to these events is free and open to the public.

CLICK HERE to volunteer during this event.

Artists included in this exhibit are: