Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

DiMarco, Christa

Area of Concentration

Liberal Arts

Abstract

This paper introduces the Florida Highwaymen, a collective of African American landscape painters who emerged in mid-twentieth century Florida. Previously, the Florida Highwaymen have been viewed primarily as commercial artists producing decorative art for profit. By examining their artistic techniques, cultural context, and the socio-economic challenges they faced, this paper argues that the Highwaymen’s work represents a form of entrepreneurship and artistic innovation. Their paintings not only document the unique landscapes of Florida but their achievements reflect issues of mobility, entrepreneurship, and resilience within the African American community during the Jim Crow Era Florida. This paper also recognizes the talent and techniques employed by the artists. This study contributes to an understanding of the Florida Highwaymen by evaluating their artistic significance, highlighting their innovative responses to segregation and exclusion, and acknowledging their legacy within American art and Florida’s cultural history.

Rights

The author has granted New College of Florida the nonexclusive right to archive, make accessible, and distribute for educational purposes this work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The copyright of this work remains with the author.

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