The Fort Pierce community is about to watch art history come to life, as earth is finally turned over for the new museum dedicated to the legacy of Florida's highwaymen artists. The groundbreaking ceremony, which took place yesterday, marks the start of a journey to honor these trailblazing African-American artists who, amid racial segregation, took their vivid Florida landscapes to the streets for survival starting back in the '50s. Original masterpieces that once sold for petty cash are now fetching prices steep as the sky, with collectors forking over thousands of dollars to claim a piece of this relentless artistry.
Speaking at the event with sentiments wrapped in years of resilience, Doretha Hair, the widow of Alfred Hair—one of the original highwaymen—shared her emotions. "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 told WPTV. With plans for the museum to exhibit at least one original work from each of the 26 first-generation highwaymen, organizers aim to open its doors just in time for next February's annual Highwaymen celebration event.
Moving over to the museum's soon-to-be home, the Jackie L. Caynon Sr. Building is currently under restoration. Doretha Hair Truesdell, president of the Original Florida Hall of Fame Highwaymen and wife to the late Alfred Hair, highlighted, "It’s been over 20 years since the Highwaymen organization has been talking about establishing a museum," during a ceremonial update, as reported by TCPalm. Funded predominantly from a sizable $483,662 grant from the Florida Department of State African-American Cultural and Historical Grant, and topped by contributions from the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency, the museum's total renovation costs stand at $513,945.
The museum isn't just a nod to the art but a beacon of historical reflection, planted smack in the Lincoln Park Historic District. The project promises to throw a spotlight on the societal adversities fronted by these Black artists during the Jim Crow and Civil Rights era. "It’s exhilarating to know we can walk into this historic building and know that this is the home for the Highwaymen art — in the area where they lived and practiced their craft," Truesdell conveyed in an interview with TCPalm. True to their roots, the museum will hold a grand opening next February after a prospective soft launch in December.
Financial boosts for the museum aren't just rolling in via state grants—efforts to raise money through a specialty license plate featuring Alfred Hair's iconic orange royal poinciana tree have finally come to fruition after a long, legislative slog. The plate still awaits the necessary pre-sale quota of 3,000 to go into production, with just 407 orders clocked thus far. Supporters have the option to place their pre-orders through the St. Lucie tax collector’s office, drumming up not just funds, but also a sense of community backing for this tribute to Florida's cultural vanguard.
