PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12/14/23

MEET FLORIDA HIGHWAYMEN ARTIST R.L. LEWIS

Saturday January 6th
LiLu’s Art Gallery
82 Charlotte Street
St. Augustine FL, 32084
lilusartandantiques.com

This is a rare opportunity to meet one of the original Florida Highwaymen artists. R.L. will be featured at LiLu’s Art Gallery where he will answer questions about being a part of the famous group while paintings and original piece. LiLu’s Gallery is located in the historic district of St. Augustine at 82 Charlotte Street. Meet the artist on Saturday January 6th from 11:00am – 3:00pm.

R.L. Lewis is one of the original 26 Highwaymen, a group of young African-American painters from south Florida who sold their works up and down the Atlantic Coast beginning in the 1950’s. Now, the Highwaymen painters have been inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, have a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. and are owned by many celebrities and politicians. Lewis had a solo exhibit in the Smithsonian as well called “the Highwaymen Tradition” from 2003-2004 .

R.L. is one of the few remaining Highwaymen, of the original 26, only 6 Highwaymen remain. Robert (R.L.) Lewis returned to Cocoa Beach FL after graduating from Florida A & M, and began selling his paintings in 1967. He wasn’t selling landscapes though until he became friends with a local sign painter in the area named Sylvester Wells. Wells told him about a couple of artists named “the Newton Brothers” who were making good money selling Florida landscape paintings, for which Lewis remembered an article his teacher had showed him 10 years prior. Interested to see the artists in action, Lewis went down to Harold’s house to check them out. Lewis met Harold and Sam that day who showed him some techniques and introduced him to Upson board as a means for inexpensive painting material. He painted his first landscape painting that day with Harold Newton’s brush, and eagerly returned to Cocoa to model this new entrepreneurial enterprise. R.L. Lewis has been painting in the Highwaymen style ever since while also teaching art in Brevard County for 32 years.

At LiLu’s Art Gallery, we’ve hand selected incredible art pieces for your home or business.   We specialize in 19th century, Highwaymen art and Contemporary pieces, but offer a wide range of framed paintings and antiques to compliment all tastes.  We have quality fine art, at competitive prices!

For more information, please contact gallery owner Janeen Damiano Sara at lilusartandantiques@gmail.com or call 904-392-6231.

Check out our event page on Facebook: https://fb.me/e/5RprLjvx0