Fort Pierce Florida Highwaymen Museum Opens

Fort Pierce opened the City of Fort Pierce Florida Highwaymen Museum at 1234 Avenue D, marking the nation's only institution dedicated exclusively to the 26 artists of the Original Florida Highwaymen movement.

The African American artists created bold, colorful landscapes of Florida's natural beauty and sold their work along roadsides during the segregation era, when galleries denied them entry. All 26 original artists received induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004.

The 3,200-square-foot, two-story building in the historic Lincoln Park community once served as a church and later a rooming house. The museum sits steps from where the art movement began in the 1950s.

Visitors will see original paintings of beaches, wetlands, royal poinciana trees, and Florida wilderness, along with exhibits on the artists' techniques and entrepreneurial approach. The museum also chronicles the cultural conditions that shaped their work.

Summer hours run Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., through July 31. Fall and spring hours, beginning Sept. 1, will expand. The museum closes in August for new exhibit installation and on most federal holidays. Private tours are available by request.