SARASOTA — “The Florida Highwaymen: Interstate Connections” exhibit is on view inside the Museum of Botany & the Arts at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus through Sept. 15.
The Black landscape artists known as the Florida Highwaymen emerged in the 1950s in the agricultural communities of Fort Pierce and Gifford, Florida, according to a news release. These largely self-taught, artists produced colorful scenes of Florida landscapes.
“The Highwaymen represent a group of very talented and beloved artists,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Selby Gardens in the news release. “Their works collectively capture colorful scenes of Florida’s unique landscapes with universal appeal. To appreciate their art in our botanical setting is an experience perfectly suited to our bayfront sanctuary during the summer.”
This exhibition celebrates their artistic achievements and connects their stories to the experience of the African American community in Sarasota in the 1950s and 1960s. While the Highwaymen were depicting the windswept palms and golden sands along the shores of the Atlantic, residents of Sarasota’s predominantly Black neighborhood of Newtown were striving to gain access to the segregated beaches on the Gulf. Protests in support of beach integration in Sarasota were early efforts in the fight for equal rights for all Americans, resulting in the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to the news release.