Art

Harold Newton Untitled [Rowboat, palm and shack along the Indian River], No Date, Oil on Upson board.

Courtesy of the Schlesinger Collection, © Harold Newton. Photography by Tariq Gibran. Harold Newton Untitled (Orange hibiscus portrait), No Date, Oil on Upson board.

Courtesy of the Lightle Collection, © Harold Newton. Photography by Tariq Gibran.

Rich Colors of Florida’s Natural Scenes at Tampa Museum of Art

Museums offer visitors the opportunity to reflect and learn through the exhibitions and community programing. Currently, Tampa Museum of Art celebrates and honors the richness and complexity of Florida’s cultural tapestry with the exhibition, Living Color: The Art of the Highwaymen. The exhibition brings together 60 paintings from five outstanding private collections, featuring the works of the core group of Florida Highwaymen, who are self-trained and used accessible materials. 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 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 prices, often door-to-door and sometimes from their cars’ trunks along such thoroughfares as Route 1.

“We’re pleased to be able to bring Living Color to Tampa because this exhibition speaks to the resourcefulness and resilience of this group of artists,” said Joanna Robotham, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Tampa Museum of Art. “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.”

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 www.TampaMuseum.org/Adult-Tours/.

Living Color: The Art of the Highwaymen

On View Through March 28, 2021 at the Tampa Museum of Art. The museum is located in downtown Tampa at 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa, 33602. For more information, visit www.TampaMuseum.org or call 813.274.8130.

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