Wellington recently announced the return of a free public art exhibit, “The Art of Florida’s Highwaymen,” to the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The exhibit will be on display on Saturday, Feb. 12 and Sunday, Feb. 13, with presentations each day at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. A key member of the Highwaymen, R.A. McLendon, who began his painting career in 1955, will be painting live on site. A free opening reception with light refreshments is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon.
In the late 1950s, during the Jim Crow era of the south, a small group of African American artists from the Fort Pierce and Vero Beach area started a business venture during a time where employment opportunities available to them were mostly low-paying jobs.
Eventually, the group numbered 26 self-taught artists. Unable to display and sell their work through traditional channels, such as galleries and art agents, they traveled the roads selling their paintings to business owners, real estate brokers, lawyer’s offices, banks and others along the way. This unconventional sales method earned them the name of “The Highwaymen.” For more than 60 years, the group captured Florida’s natural beauty in an estimated 200,000 paintings, depicting striking views of backwoods scenes, breaking waves, palm-lined beaches and rivers.
For more information, call the Wellington Community Center at (561) 753-2484, or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov/events.
