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Surviving Florida Highwayman R.L. Lewis recalls selling paintings roadside during segregation
Summary
R.L. Lewis, a surviving member of the Florida Highwaymen, spoke about selling paintings by the side of the road during segregation and continues to exhibit and teach; the broadcast included recollections of the group’s history and local appearances.
R.L. Lewis, identified in the broadcast as one of five surviving members of the Florida Highwaymen, told listeners that during segregation the artists sold their paintings by the side of the road because they were not allowed in white-owned galleries. Lewis described traveling the highways and byways to sell works and said the public "gravitate[d] to this stuff."
The segment said Lewis, now in his 80s, runs a gallery in Cocoa and still makes appearances around the state. The program recalled a 2017 demonstration and lecture at Grassy Waters Preserve and noted that fellow Highwayman James Gibson (deceased) and Curtis Arnett were among artists who met admirers at public events. Lewis said the work often felt like being "in the right place at the right time," and the segment presented the Highwaymen’s art as part of the region’s cultural legacy.
The broadcast did not provide sales figures, gallery addresses, or details about the Highwaymen’s organizational structure. It presented Lewis’s remarks and program narration as firsthand recollection and historical context.
