Florida Highwaymen art collector Walter Fletcher reflects on his journey

Article By: Brea Jones, Herald Staff | BJones@MySanfordHerald.com

Five years ago, Walter Fletcher began collecting art that pertained to Florida and its history. His collecting journey led him to discover the legacy of the art group known as The Highwaymen.

The Highwaymen, also referred to as the Florida Highwaymen, are a group of 26 Black artists who painted portraits of Florida’s landscape from the early 1950s to the 2000s using inexpensive materials and their own painting techniques. Some of the artists were taught and influenced by A.E. Backus.

“I started collecting general art through sites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace,” Fletcher said. “I didn’t know anything about what was considered an expensive piece or things like that.”

Fletcher said he was introduced to The Highwaymen three years ago when he made an arrangement to purchase an art piece painted by an artist from Okeechobee, Florida named Oscar. Fletcher said he feels Oscar’s art style is like his own version of the Highwaymen. Fletcher asked Oscar how he learned to paint during his trip to pick up the piece he purchased, and Oscar told him that he was trained by Robert Butler, one of the Highwaymen artists, as a child.

“I went home and started doing research online and buying books,” Fletcher said. “It’s a big community of people who collect this art. There are so many people to talk to and share stories with to learn more about the specifics of the art. I found that a lot of fun.”

In developing their own art style and techniques, the Highwaymen are credited with starting the “Indian River School” art movement. The Florida Highwaymen were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004.

“There is a lot of struggle to get where they got to, from painting on the side of the road to getting to the hall of fame,” Fletcher said.

Of the 26 artists, only seven are still alive, according to the Florida Highwaymen website. Fletcher said it is his mission as an art collector to spread knowledge of Florida art and the Highwaymen so their original artworks are not lost in history.

“My mission is to preserve Florida art… and teach people about Florida art,” Fletcher said. “There’s not a lot of younger people collecting this art, so I’m concerned about what will happen when [the current generation of collectors] are gone.”

Walter W. Fletcher

Cell: (863) 517-1986

Email: walterwfletcher@gmail.com

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