Highwaymen Celebration Weekend

The A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery will present the annual Highwaymen Celebration Weekend Friday, February 19 through Sunday, February 21, 2021 with special hours of 10:00 am – 4:00 pm each day. Visitors to the Museum can enjoy a range of special offerings, including viewing the special exhibition Right of Way: The Highwaymen. Special admission to the Museum is $3 (free for children and Museum members), with activities outside and inside at 500 North Indian River Drive in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce.

The Highwaymen are a loose collective of Florida artists who learned landscape painting techniques and began a creative enterprise of selling their bold and rapidly-produced works of art to customers up and down the state’s Atlantic Coast from the trunks of cars. This movement started in Fort Pierce in the 1950s at a time in the segregated South when opportunities were limited for African Americans, yet they persevered and succeeded. In 2004, 26 of the original artists were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, and in 2016 the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American Culture and History opened with 18 Highwaymen paintings in its collection.

This year, Highwaymen Celebration Weekend activities include:

BROWSE AND PURCHASE VINTAGE HIGHWAYMEN PAINTINGS FROM PRIVATE DEALERS

The highlight of the weekend takes place on the Museum’s Outdoor Mural Plaza, where people seeking to start or build their personal collections of Highwaymen paintings will be able to browse an impressive selection offered for purchase by professional dealers, specializing in the vintage works of these artists. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the current state of the art market and to explore owning an original work of art for your home or office.

SEE THE SPECIAL EXHIBITION RIGHT OF WAY: THE HIGHWAYMEN

Visitors to the Museum galleries will enjoy the latest in the annual series of special exhibitions recognizing the dynamic contributions of these legendary artists, Right of Way: The Highwaymen. Despite the many obstacles in their path, this group would overcome. They were in the right place at the right time. The special exhibition expands upon the permanent display of Highwaymen paintings on view, a display which includes video excerpts from the award-winning documentary film “The Highwaymen: Legends of the Road.”

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE ROAD: DAILY MINI TALKS

The Museum will also host brief 15-minute, limited distance-seated gallery presentations on the art of the Florida Highwaymen at 11:15 am & 2:15 pm each day. Seating is first come / first served, and will be based on safe limited visitor capacity indoors.

SPECIAL EXTENDED HOURS FOR FEBRUARY ART WALK

On Friday, the Highwaymen Celebration Weekend will extend its hours 5:00 – 8:00 pm to participate in Fort Pierce’s premiere monthly arts event, the downtown Art Walk. In addition, two 15-minute Mini Talks will be offered at 5:30 and 7:00 pm. For more information on the Fort Pierce Art Walk, please visit www.Facebook.com/ArtWalkFP

Special Coronavirus Procedures for Your Safety: Activities will be held outside weather permitting, and inside subject to limited capacity. This weekend the Museum will be allowing limited numbers inside at a time to maintain a safe environment for all. Visitors are asked to wear face coverings and practice social distancing for the safety and comfort of guests, staff, and volunteers. Thank you in advance for your understanding.