Famed Artists Florida Highwaymen Come To Mount Dora
Written by Michael Harris
It seems Mount Dora is becoming a second home for the famed Florida Highwaymen Artists. Twelve of the artists, known for their works in the ‘50s through the ‘80s, will be in Mount Dora this weekend showing off their collections.
“This is the fifth show since August of 2008,” says Margie Salyer, who is a coordinator for the event and co-owner of Heron Cay Bed and Breakfast. “We’ve collected Highwaymen art for some time. This will be the biggest so far.”
The Highwaymen, as it says on their Web site, are a group of 26 African-American artists who painted beautiful landscapes that displayed the serene, undeveloped Florida landscape of their time. Because of the tranquil scenes and history involved, their original paintings are highly demanded by collectors and enthusiasts.
The Florida Highwaymen used vivid and bright colors in their paintings to display the beautiful untouched Florida landscape. They painted wind-bent palm trees, serene sunsets, churning oceans and bright red Poinciana trees – in other words, true Florida landscape.
The Highwaymen will be on hand on August 14 and 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Donnelly Building at Donnelly Park. You can meet the artists and purchase their art if you so choose.
One of the ongoing features is the Highwaymen Walk which anyone can take part in. There will be 25 shops and restaurants displaying original works of the twelve artists. Anyone can pick up a downtown walking map and Highwaymen Walk ticket and begin a stroll through town to visit select locations displaying the original art. Each hosting location will validate the ticket with a unique stamp. If one gets 18 stamps, they will qualify to win $500 Dora Dollars in a random drawing on August 13th. If one gets stamped at all locations, they will be entered twice.
Margie says you can pick up a ticket and map at Mount Dora Center for the Arts, the Chamber of Commerce and at Heron Cay Bed and Breakfast.
The 12 Highwaymen at the event this week will be: Curtis Arnett, Al Black, Mary Ann Carroll, James Gibson, Issac Knight, Robert Lewis, John Maynor, Roy McLendon, Willie Regan, Carnell Smith, Charles Walker and Sylvester Wells.
For more info go to: www.whattodoinmtdora.com/activities/highwaymen/MountDoraArt.shtml
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