WCW2-21

focus on the arts
AT THE
Tampa Museum of Art:
The Highwaymen, who painted the rich colors of Florida’s natural scenes
The Tampa Museum of Art (TMA)
celebrates the richness and complexity
of Florida’s cultural tapestry
with its current exhibition, Living
Color: The Art of the Highwaymen. On view
through March 28, 2021, Living Color brings
together 60 paintings from five outstanding
private collections, featuring the works of the
core group of Florida Highwaymen. These
celebrated African American artists depicted
the state’s natural environment and rich
tones through their unique self-taught painting
styles.
The Highwaymen produced artwork from
the 1950s to the 1980s. Artists including Al
Black, Mary Ann Carroll, Willie Daniels,
Johnny Daniels, James Gibson, Alfred Hair,
Roy McLendon, Harold Newton, Sam Newton,
Willie Reagan, and Livingston Roberts, painted
as a means to making a living, and many
were quite successful, especially Alfred Hair
and Harold
Al Black Untitled. [Indian River view, with foreground palm] no date
Newton.
Facing
limitations
imposed by
the racial
prejudice of
their time,
Highwaymen
artists had little
or no formal
training
or access to
conventional
art markets.
To overcome
these obstacles,
they produced
large
numbers of
works that
could be sold
at affordable
Mary Ann Carroll Untitled [Backcountry twilight] no date
Harold Newton Untitled [1950’s life along Avenue D in Fort Pierce] no date
prices, often door-to-door and sometimes from their
cars’ trunks along such thoroughfares as Route 1.
“This exhibition speaks to the resourcefulness and
resilience of this group of artists. The Highwaymen,
based in and around Ft. Pierce, developed their own
creative community during a time in Florida’s history
that coincided with an economic boom in the state
and African Americans fighting for equal rights,” said
Joanna Robotham, Curator of Modern and Contemporary
Art at the Tampa Museum of Art.
Groups of four or more can schedule a private
virtual tour, and groups of 10 or more can schedule
an in-person tour of Living Color and any exhibition at
TMA by visiting TampaMuseum.org/Adult-Tours/.
General Hours and
Information
Tampa Museum of
Art is located at 120
W. Gasparilla Plaza in
downtown Tampa.
The Tampa Museum of Art is open seven days a
week, Monday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm and Thursdays
from 10 am-8 pm. Visit TampaMuseum.org.
Livingston Roberts Untitled [Backcountry hammock framed by oak and palm] No date
26 WEST COAST WOMAN FEBRUARY 2021