ARTLAB - FULL
Each month, participants will be introduced to one of the Museum’s exhibitions in a fun and interactive way. ArtLabs are led by professional artists and art educators who will engage participants of all ages and skills in their own unique experience relating to an exhibition on display in the Museum.
Saturday, April 9, 2022
The Art of the Highwaymen with R.L. Lewis (FULL)
Lab starts at 11:00am
Free for Members, $5 per Non-Members
Pre-registration is required.
In this ArtLab, R.L. Lewis will recount his personal experience as a Highwaymen artist and provide a live painting demonstration featuring one of Florida’s natural landscapes. From his early days as a teenager selling paintings up and down Florida’s east coast during the throes of segregation to the resurgence in demand for his artwork and newfound fame as an artist, Lewis will share the rich history and legacy of the Florida Highwaymen and their place in art history.
About the Artist:
Born in Cocoa, FL in 1941, R.L. Lewis is a practicing landscape artist and one of the original Florida Highwaymen. Crediting his mother as inspirational in encouraging his early passion for art, it was not until an art class in high school where Lewis was first introduced to the success and talent of founding Highwaymen Harold Newton that his life forever changed.
As a young artist following in Newton’s footsteps, Lewis drove up and down Florida’s highways, selling his paintings to doctors, attorneys, and other business people, eventually earning enough money to put himself through college and pursue his artistic talents at the college level. Graduating from Florida A&M University in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education, Lewis went on to teach art in the Brevard County school system for 32 years while remaining a practicing and successful artist in his spare time.
Today, the paintings by R.L. Lewis are widely admired and featured in museum exhibitions, art galleries, auction houses, as well as public and private collections.