ART
The art of the legendary Highwaymen school of painters is celebrated at the annual Highwaymen festival.
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ANNUAL FORT PIERCE FESTIVAL TO
CELEBRATE HIGHWAYMEN HISTORY AND ART
The annual tribute to the Florida Highwaymen and their
contribution to the rich cultural history of Fort Pierce will
be 10 a.m-4 p.m. Feb. 17 at Moore’s Creek Linear Park, at
the corner of Avenue D and Eighth Street.
The Saturday event will feature many of the original and
second-generation artists who will be displaying and selling
their art, as well as tribute booths for several of the deceased
artists, live jazz, food, novelty vendors and a kids zone.
Free guided Highwaymen Trail tours will be available during
the event, by reservation only, by calling 772-467-3169. The
award-winning trail’s colorful markers, magnificent public art
and informative website help convey the plight, fortitude,
entrepreneurial spirit and accomplishments of these African
Americans during the Jim Crow-era who were inducted into
the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004.
The Highwaymen art movement began in Lincoln Park, the
iconic Fort Pierce minority neighborhood where the annual
festival is held.
The event will include an exhibit of Highwaymen art contest
entries submitted by area fifth-grade students who participate
in the event’s educational component. A special tribute to
Zanobia Jefferson, the Lincoln Park Academy art teacher who
introduced her future Highwaymen students to A.E. “Bean”
Backus in the 1950s, will also be on display.
The city is collaborating with the A.E. Backus Museum and
Gallery by hosting a Highwaymen Open House Weekend Feb.
16, 17 and 18.
The weekend kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. with a talk by Doretha
Hair Truesdell, widow of original Highwaymen artist Alfred Hair,
entitled The Early Days (free for museum members; $20 for
nonmembers).
A special weekend sale of stellar vintage Highwaymen
paintings by Florida’s most reputable Highwaymen dealers
will be 10 a.m-4p.m. Saturday and 12-4p.m. Sunday. The City of
Fort Pierce will provide a free shuttle on Saturday for visitors to
travel between the festival and the Backus Museum.
The trail and accompanying website are part of a
multiyear project underwritten by two grants from the
Florida Humanities Council (FHC) and the city’s contribution
of matching funds, plus hundreds of staff hours. More
information, visit www.thehighwaymentrail.com or call
772-467-3169.
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