The Florida Highwaymen are an iconic group of Black artists who lived predominantly in Fort Pierce and Gifford in the 1950s. They got their start painting Florida landscapes under the tutelage of founder Alfred Hair, Harold Newton and white artist A.E. “Bean” or “Beanie” Backus.
Jim Crow-era laws prohibited Black artists from displaying their art in galleries, so they sold their paintings on the streets to hotels, offices and on the side of the road for about $25.
About 70 years later, their story will be released on streaming and DVD beginning Oct. 28.
“Legends of the Highway” is a movie produced by Triple Hibiscus Productions. It finished filming on location in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as North Carolina and Florida’s Treasure Coast, Kelcie Schwab, vice president of digital for Maverick Entertainment, told TCPalm in May.
Here’s what to know about the movie.
Where can I watch the Florida Highwaymen movie?
The movie will have two release dates:
DVD and digital to rent or buy: Oct. 28, available nationwide on Fandango and Prime Video
Streaming: Nov. 25 on major streaming platforms, according to a news release. The news release does not specify which platforms.
There will be multiple in-person premieres at these locations:
Red Carpet Premiere: Oct. 25 at Cinepolis Jupiter
Screening: Nov. 8 at Cinepolis Davenport
Screening and Elliott Museum Event: Nov. 23 at The Lyric Theatre in Stuart
Screening: Dec. 13 at Cinepolis in Coconut Grove
What is the Florida Highwaymen movie about?
The movie follows a group of Black artists and a pioneering woman in 1950s Florida, navigating segregation while creating landscape paintings and forging their own path to artistic recognition.
“Legends of the Highway” features an ensemble cast led by:
Julian Horton (Netflix’s “Beauty in Black”)
Kelvin Hair (“Respect,” BET’s “Ruthless”)
Johnell Young (Hulu’s “Wu-Tang: An American Saga”)
Ashani Roberts (“Sweetwater,” BET’s “Average Joe”)
Daniel Augustin (Max’s “Rap Sh!t,” HULU’s “How I Met Your Father”)
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It also features John Dixon, Alec Adams, Jizzixious Bishop and Christopher Thomas. Kelvin Hair will play the role of Alfred Hair, his grandfather and an original Highwayman who died in 1970.
“Legends of the Highway is not just about art, it’s about legacy,” Gifford native and retired NFL star Kenny Holmes said in a news release. “These artists painted their freedom, and their stories deserve to be seen and celebrated.”
Florida Highwaymen ‘Legends of the Highway’ trailer
Who are the original 26 Highwaymen artists?
Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at [email protected], 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida Highwaymen ‘Legends of the Highway’ movie, Kenny Homes
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
