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Roadside wonders
By EILEEN SCHULTE SAFETY HARBOR -- In the late 1950s when Fort Pierce was just an east coast hamlet undiscovered by the rest of the world, life moved at such a slow pace the sun dropping low behind the brilliant royal poinciana trees in late summer evenings moved more quickly. On one of those languid, hot days, Hezekiah Baker was off duty from the town bakery where he mixed dough and formed the pieces into rolls. With not much to do, he was passing the time watching Days of Our Lives on TV when he saw a commercial telling him he might just possess artistic talent. Is that right? Just send in a drawing and we will tell you, it promised the 27-year-old. He did and "I won (the contest)," Baker said. "I guess everyone won," he said, laughing. He paid $250 for the training materials. While he was drawing a picture of a woman one day at the bakery, a fellow worker looked over and admired his work. "He said, "Why don't you go see Alfred?' " asked Baker. The man was referring to Alfred Hair, a widely known artist in the community. Baker drove over to meet Hair, who sensed his talent and took him into the group that would later become the Highwaymen, a group of 26 African-American men and one woman who became famous for traveling the Florida roads, selling their vivid paintings out of the trunks of their cars for as little as $10 to $15 (reports vary, but buyers tried to do some bargaining faced with unknown artists) to tourists and motel owners starting at about 1955. They were encouraged by local landscape artist A.E. "Bean" Backus. Baker and five others will meet with collectors of the artist's work and those just curious about the paintings on Saturday at the Safety Harbor Regional Museum of History. Highwaymen paintings will be for sale, although they don't come cheap. Two works painted by Baker last week (he paints only two a day now because his diabetes won't allow him to stand for long periods of time), are priced at $500 each. "(The Highwaymen art) is some of the best examples of Florida landscapes that I've ever seen," said Mark O'Donnell, the museum's director of development. "It draws (attention). We just had a gentleman bring by four (Roy) McLendon's. They were beautiful. His mom was at a doctor's office (for an appointment) in the 1950s or 1960s. The doctor didn't buy any, but she bought them all for $50." Like most collectors, the man wanted to know how much the works are worth now. In money, Highwaymen art can go for thousands of dollars on an online e-Bay auction. In the emotion, some of them stir, they are more valuable. The paintings depict a Florida most have never seen except in their subtropical fantasies, an unspoiled landscape with winding, sandy roads, marshes with lone palm trees, deserted beaches and wooden fishing shacks. There are large moons shining over inlets so entrancing you could swear you hear the sounds of the frogs. The original works were painted on cheap, thin wood -- Upson board, usually -- and the frames were gaudy and pieced together with little more than hope. But to collectors, those details add to the lore -- and value -- of the Highwaymen paintings. They flock to the museum every year to meet the artists. "It's becoming an annual tradition," said O'Donnell. "We look forward to keeping the tradition alive." -- Eileen Schulte can be reached at (727) 445-4153 or schulte@sptimes.com . If you goA Day with the Highwaymen will start at noon Saturday at the Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History with a luncheon with the artists (sold out). From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Highwaymen who are participating, James Gibson, Hezekiah Baker, Robert Butler, Mary Ann Carroll, Zanobia Bracy Jefferson and Curtis Arnett, will discuss their work. The fee is $5. The museum is at 329 Bayshore Blvd. S. For information, call (727) 726-1668.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
