FORT PIERCE, Fla. — It has been a long and winding road, but plans are finally moving forward for a new museum in Fort Pierce honoring Florida's Highwaymen artists.
An official groundbreaking was held July 9 at the museum site along Avenue D. The Highwaymen, shut out of traditional art galleries, first started selling their canvases along the side of the road back in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, original works can sell for thousands of dollars.
For the widow of one of the original highwaymen, Doretha Hair, this is a dream come true.
Two Americas
Who were the Florida Highwaymen?
"It's a testament to Alfred Hair who had the tenacity and the courage to go out on his own at 18 years old to say, 'This is going to be my career. This is going to be my life,'" Hair said.
The goal is to have at least one original work from each of the 26 first generation of men and women who painted these Florida landscapes. The museum is slated to open in time for next year's annual Highwayman celebration event in February.
