ORIGINS OF COLLECTING FLORIDA

Collecting anything comes about for many reasons. Some collect because of a fad (beanie babies)while others collect because they may see value in the object of their desire. Still others can not formulate the reason they collect, they just feel that if it's worth having that it's worth holding on to. However there are those who have a passion for what they collect that defies explanation. I may be one such collector. Back in 1996 while having sunday morning breakfast with my family I read an article in the art section of the Palm Beach Post . In that article was the story of a group of african american men and one women in Ft. Pierce,Fl. who managed to overcome the forces working against them to make a living painting Florida landscapes and selling them basically door to door in the 1950's,60's,70's and 80's.. The story went on to tell a wonderful tale of how these young men and one women, some of who labored in the fields taught themselves to paint and transend their place in life to become folklore. An art collector by the name of Jim Fitch gave them the name Highwaymen because of their method of painting  and then taking those paintings on the road to sell them.  They sold their paintings for between $15 and $100 for the good ones in their heyday.The story went on to say that over the years this art was forgotten and the group of artist although some still painting faded into obscurity. This one article turned out to be the impetus that launched my art collecting journey. And what a journey it has become. When I finished the article,which mentioned that these forgotten painting could be found at antique stores, thrift stores ,flea markets and garage sales, I quickly asked my daughter Jen to accompany me to downtown Lake Worth where I knew of several antique stores at the time. The very first store we went into had three Highwaymen paintings ( two James Gibsons and one Alfread Hair )and to my surprise were selling for about $17 each .About what they were selling for 30 or so years before. Imagine original oil paintings for less than $50. I was hooked . From there I went on a  quest every weekend to find more and better quality Highwaymen paintings. A quest that has expanded with the new found knowledge of other florida art to encompass many other artist who painted in this wonderful state. There are a few good books about the Highwaymen and many articles and magazine stories that tell their tale. There is even a couple of documentary films out there. My passion for florida art sprung from a need to find an alternative to my business which seemed to consume all my energy. This diversion not only satisfied a need but gave me a new found appreciation of  the beauty and history of art in florida. In future posts I will try to relay some interesting stories of collecting florida art. Please feel free to comment and relay any stories you may have.