| Highwayman James Gibson’s Remarkable Road To Fame |
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The Celebrated Artist Has Watched His Works Soar In Popularity And Value
Fifty years ago 21-year-old James Gibson had a career choice. The Fort Pierce native could go to work picking oranges as many of his black classmates in the segregated South were doing, or he could become an artist, even though he had no formal art training. He chose the life of an artist. How is it working out? Last year Gov. Charlie Crist used one of Gibson’s paintings on the Christmas card he mailed to thousands of people, and in April an exhibit of Gibson’s work went on display at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center on West New England Avenue. (The Heritage Center owns a work by another Highwaymen painter, the late Harold Newton.) Gibson attended the opening reception, but there was one noteworthy change: Paintings he sold for $10 a quarter of a century ago now are going for more than $5,000. Some of those who turned out to meet him and see his work first met him years ago when he would drive from his Fort Pierce home to make the rounds of area businesses. He would stick his head in the door and ask if they wanted to see his art. Many times he got a rude “no,” and he quickly left. When he heard “yes,” he would set up his paintings. Or he sold them from the trunk of his car, where he had stuffed dozens of paintings, many as wide as a sofa. Those who gave him $10 or $20 for a painting liked his work but never thought that one day Gibson would be the subject of books. When Crist called him recently to say he wanted to meet him, Gibson had to decline – he already had agreed to meet with former Gov. Jeb Bush. And several years ago a customer in Gibson’s Fort Pierce gallery looked vaguely familiar, but it took more than two hours before Gibson learned that customer’s identity – movie director Steven Spielberg, who it turned out was a big fan. In the Spielberg movie Catch Me If You Can, Gibson’s work can be clearly seen. Gibson got his start in 1959. The local all-black high school couldn’t afford an art department, and a teacher persuaded a local artist to give lessons to the students in exchange for helping him with chores such as building frames. The students began selling their works along the highways, and today they are known collectively as the Highwaymen. “If you think about it, that’s what we were doing – loading up our cars and driving up and down the highway,” he says. It is impossible to know how many works Gibson has painted – certainly thousands over the years, nearly all capturing Florida’s natural scenery. Gibson says he once painted 100 paintings in a single day. The Orlando law firm Baker and Hostettler has one of his premier works in its downtown office, and the king and queen of Spain also have his works on display. Since the Highwaymen works soared in value, many people have come forward to say they belong to the group. But generally there are 28 artists who are considered members of the movement. Gibson is one of the two or three best known. Some of those who turned out for Gibson’s reception in Winter Park had heard of the Highwaymen but were seeing his work for the first time. Others, such as Robert and Valerie Davis of Winter Park, began collecting Highwaymen art eight years ago. Valerie Davis, an attorney at Walt Disney World, has known the artists since she was a child. Her father, Charles Roberts, owned a drugstore in Fort Pierce, and he helped the artists meet people who bought their works. Out of gratitude, they gave Charles Roberts a painting that his daughter still has. Geoff Cook, who was instrumental in planning the exhibit, may own one of the largest collection of Highwaymen paintings, and he has done much to bring their work to the public. He began collecting in 1998 after reading an article in the Orlando Sentinel’s Sunday magazine. “What drew me into the magazine was the painting of the sunset on the cover. I wanted to know more about the artists.” He now has about 300 Highwayman paintings, but he says that some collectors have more works than he does. Cook has turned his love of the Highwaymen into part of his business, buying and selling their work. Although much has changed with Gibson, many things are the same. The ancient Oldsmobile with the giant trunk has been replaced by a beautiful new pickup truck, but he still pulls paintings out of the back, sets them up and waits for a sale. “It is very different,” he says as people ask him for his autograph. “I don’t have to worry about paying my bills now.” |
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