Arts Advocates surveys ‘First Lady of the Highwaymen’
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Arts Advocates will present “The First Lady of the Highwaymen,” a history lecture about the legacy of artist Mary Ann Carroll, on March 27 from 2-4:30 p.m.
The lecture at the Arts Advocates Gallery (Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail) will be presented by Carroll’s daughter, Dr. Wanda Renee Mills. After the lecture, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with Mills, who has donated 12 of her mother’s artworks to Florida universities.
The Florida Highwaymen were a group of 26 African American landscape artists, mostly self-taught, from the Fort Pierce area. The group was active from the mid-1950s into the 1980s. Because of the racial climate at the time, no galleries would accept their work, so they sold their art door to door or from the trunks of their cars along Florida’s eastern coast.
Carroll, the only female Florida Highwaymen painter whose landscapes are noteworthy for their vibrant colors, faced additional social and economic hurdles.
The group’s renown grew internationally during the early 2000s, and in 2004 all 26 Florida Highwaymen were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. In 2011, Carroll presented a painting to Michelle Obama at the First Lady’s Luncheon in Washington, D.C.
Five Highwaymen paintings are part of Arts Advocates’ permanent collection. A special exhibition of 50 Florida Highwaymen paintings at the Arts Advocates Gallery is planned on March 2224 from 2-6 p.m. The free exhibition is being held in collaboration with Roger Lightle, noted Florida Highwaymen art collector, along with Curtis Arnett, an original Highwayman, and Roy McLendon Jr., son of an original Highwayman.
In addition, McLendon will demonstrate his painting techniques live in the gallery, and Lightle will be on hand to elaborate on his collection.
To learn more about Arts Advocates, and to register for its events, visit ArtsAdvocates.org.
Monthly luncheon programs
Arts Advocates also presents monthly luncheon programs at the Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd., featuring engaging speakers discussing local arts-related topics. EnsembleNEWSRQ co-founders and wife/husband team Samantha Bennett and George Nickson are the featured speakers on March 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Arts Advocates member artists are invited to exhibit monthly at the Arts Advocates Gallery. Shows open the first Saturday of the month and close the last Saturday of the month. Lynn Armstrong Coffin’s show, “Full Circle,” is on exhibit now on Saturdays (2-4 p.m.) through March 30. Coffin creates captivating works using recycled and discarded materials. Admission is free.