FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:  Nancy Hamilton or Lee Rose, Lee County VCB
                         (239)338-3500

THE HIGHWAYMEN FIRST TRAVELING EXHIBIT SLATED FOR WILLIAMS ACADEMY IN FORT MYERS

LEE COUNTY, FL (November 2003) – Only opened three short years, the Williams Academy Black History Museum in Fort Myers will receive its first traveling art exhibit when The Highwaymen pull into town later this month.

            The 25 men and one woman that comprised the landscape artists from Fort Pierce area were known for the 200,000 works they produced over three decades and sold out of car trunks. These self-taught African-American artists used their talents to drive them away from the poverty and severe work of the citrus groves and packinghouses, which surrounded them.

            The art exhibit on loan from the Orange County Regional History Center, features 33 Highwaymen paintings, and opens at the Williams Academy, 1936 Henderson Ave., Fort Myers, on Nov. 23, 2-6 p.m. Two artists, James Gibson and Isaac Knight, will be present with paintings for sale. Exhibit hours are Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.; and Sunday 2 to 6 p.m. Admission: adults, $5; seniors, elementary and high school students, $4; and families with up to five members, $15.

           
            On display through Jan. 28, 2004, these Florida artists’ lives are unveiled through their work, their biographies and the themes they illustrated, including Surviving Segregation, Breaking the Rules, Developing an Art Form, Marketing Strategies and Following a Dream.
 

            Featured artists include: Curtis Arnett, Hezekiah Baker, Al Black, Ellis Buckner, George Buckner, Mary Ann Carroll, Johnny Daniels, Willie Daniels, Rodney Demps, James Gibson, Alfred Hair, Isaac Knight, Robert Lewis, Livingston Roberts, John Maynor, Roy McLendon, Alphonso Moran, Harold Newton, Lemuel Newton, Sam Newton, Willie Reagan, Cornell Smith, Sylvester Wells and Charles Wheeler.

            For details about the Williams Academy or the exhibit, call (239)332-8778. For visitor information, call toll-free (888)231-6933.