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She's a painter, pastor and pioneer

Mary Ann Carroll is the only female member of the fabled artists called the Highwaymen.

By ROBBYN MITCHELL
Published July 22, 2006

Mary Ann Carroll, 65, became one of the 26 artists in the Florida Hall of Fame-honored clan when she was 16.

"I feel great about being honored because some people see things and walk right past and others appreciate it," Carroll said. "It's good that somebody thought to appreciate me since there are many others who should be honored but have not."

Famous for painting landscapes of the natural scenes in the state, the African-American artists, who referred to themselves as "Colorists," began to assemble in the 1950s, but did not take on the name Highwaymen until the 1990s.

"She's kind of special being the only female Highwayman," said Tony Hayton, an art collector and organizer of the exhibit, "The Florida Highwaymen: Even Further Down the Road."

But Carroll's talents go beyond her art. She's also a preacher at the Foundation Revival Center in Fort Pierce.

"She's a multitalented woman," Hayton said.

Lately, her two passions have intersected. The church where she has been a preacher for two years is looking to buy a building to hold services, and Carroll will use the sale of her paintings on display to help the effort.

Carroll also has been known to sign the back of her paintings with inscriptions such as "God bless and keep you."

This is the second exhibit of the Highwaymen's work at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg after the success of last year's exhibit, and it is focused on Florida's wetlands.

"Hayton was so pleased with last year's show that he decided to bring back the collection with some new pieces for the public," said David Ellis, Studio@620's artistic director.

Locally, the work of Carroll and the Highwaymen previously has been on display at the Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History.

Carroll joined the artist collective nearly 48 years ago, when she first met Harold Newton, one of the first members.

"He had a car with flames painted on the side and he stood out to her," Hayton said.

She also became friends with another painter, and when they saw her skill, Carroll became one of them, painting Florida's wetland scenes.

Hayton, who owns several pieces by Carroll, said her style is a little bit different and distinctly feminine because of her use of color in her work.

Longtime collector Geoff Cook said Carroll's paintings serve a greater purpose.

"Her backwater scenes and her St. Lucie river scenes are pictures of places that are slowly disappearing from Florida," Cook said. "She's capturing them before they are gone."

Cook has organized 15 showings of Carroll's work in their eight-year relationship and said the artist most definitely deserves the honor.

"She is a hard-working woman and a good person," Cook said.

Ellis said the sole female member is also being honored because she is a sweet person with a great compassion that is displayed in her work.

The single mother of seven used to clean, paint houses and perform to support her family. Painting landscapes provided a form of relaxation for the busy woman.

Asked about the legacy of her Highwaymen paintings, Carroll said: "The best thing that someone can pull from these paintings 20 or 30 years from now is to realize that they can do anything despite their circumstances, you're not a totally lost cause."

[Last modified July 21, 2006, 21:07:39]