Florida Artists ~ George Inness, Jr.

I confess I’d never heard of George Inness, Jr. (nor George Inness, Sr., also recognized as an important artist) before researching Florida artists.

And yet, this renowned landscape artist and philanthropist contributed so much to the one Florida town’s cultural development that it is often referred to as the City of Arts.

That town is Tarpon Springs, located on the west coast of Florida in the Tampa Bay area, and it’s also known for its Greek heritage, freshly caught fish, and sponge-diving. (I’ve been a tourist there ~ the fish and the baklava are great and you can buy all kinds and sizes of sponges!)

Mr. Inness (January 5, 1854 – July 27, 1926) was born in Paris, France and lived an intercontinental life. While living on the East Coast of the U.S., his father often took him to Europe. 

He began his artistic career as a magazine illustrator but eventually attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He later opened a studio and even became “an Officer in the Académie des Beaux Arts, a rare distinction for an American” (Hall of Fame).

Once he returned to the U.S. in 1900, Mr. Inness became a snowbird. He lived in Cragsmoor, New York, but wintered in Tarpon Springs. The latter is where he spent his most productive years as a landscape painter.

The Unitarian Universalist Church in that Florida city owns eleven of his works. A few of these are murals painted on the church sanctuary walls.

Museums that include his paintings in their collections include: 

• Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
• New Jersey’s Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ
• Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, Daytona Beach, FL 

“He is recognized as a great Florida artist for his depiction of the state’s unspoiled landscapes full of the flora and fauna of his time” (Hall of Fame)."

Here’s an interesting tidbit ~ Financial success seemed to be launched after Mr. Inness sold a large painting of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington to his father-in-law, the founder of a publishing company.

Mr. Inness’s 27-room Florida home, known as Inness Manor, became a famed artists’ colony. It boasted a large painting studio and artists’ cottages where other prominent painters often visited.

Chetolah, his New York home, has its own claim to fame ~ it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Johnnie Alexander is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of more than thirty works of fiction in multiple genres. She is both traditionally and indie-published, serves as board secretary for the Mosaic Collection, LLC (an indie-author group) and faculty chair for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference; co-hosts Writers Chat, a weekly online show; and contributes to the HHHistory.com blog. With a heart for making memories, Johnnie is a fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips. Connect with her at JohnnieAlexander.com.

Photos

George Inness, Jr. Portrait By Internet Archive Book Images ~ https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43632603; no restrictions

Sources

Hall of Fame ~ https://dos.fl.gov/cultural/programs/florida-artists-hall-of-fame/george-inness-jr/

Unitarian Universalist Church in Tarpon Springs ~ https://www.uutarpon.org/inness-paintings/

Honorary Floridians ~ A Recap

 

Florida has long been known as a state of transplants. So much so that when attendees at a local chamber of commerce committee meeting were asked to go around the table and introduce themselves, those that were born in the state proudly announced their name followed by, “and I’m a native Floridian.” 

 

When it came my turn, I managed to get a few laughs by saying my name followed by, “and my son is a native Floridian.”

 

That was, incredibly, over twenty-five years ago and that son, now living in Oklahoma, has a “Flo-Grown” decal and a Florida State University (his favorite college team) license plate frame on his vehicle.

 

What was true all those years ago—that being a Florida native was a little uncommon—is probably still true today though not necessarily in my family. Four of my five grandchildren are also “Flo-grown,” and while not a native myself, last year I claimed Florida residency for the third time in my life. 

 

What can I say? I adore this state where the sun often shines when it’s raining, there are alligators in the pond behind our house, and long-legged sand cranes stroll along our streets. And, yes, the heat and humidity can be atrocious. 

 

That makes no difference to me. I hope to live the rest of my life here!

 

What does all this have to do with Florida authors, artists, and architects?

 

As you may have realized from reading my posts on this series, few of the featured individuals were born in Florida. However, each one lived at least part of their lifetime in the Sunshine State.

 

In fact, none of the four talented individuals we’ve highlighted this year can claim the coveted “Flo-grown” title. 

Yet each one is an acclaimed honorary Floridian.

 

Let’s do a quick recap.

 

Julia Daniels Moseley (1849-1917), author of “Come to My Sunland”: Letters of Julia Daniels Moseley from the Florida Frontier, 1882-1886, moved to the Tampa area from Illinois. The home she and her husband created, known as “The Nest,” is now on the National Register of Historic Places. She lived about half of her life in Florida and is buried in the Limona Cemetery, Brandon.

Mary Ann Carroll (1940-2019), the only woman included in the twenty-six Original Florida Highwaymen—Black artists known for selling their colorful landscapes from the trunks of their cars—was born in Georgia. Along with the other Highwaymen, Ms. Carroll was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. She moved to Florida as a child and is buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery, Fort Pierce.

Untitled ~ Poinciana Tree

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1896-1953) was born in Washington D.C. She is the author of two award-winning books that were adapted into major films ~ The Yearling and Cross Creek. Both these works were inspired by the farm, now a state park, that Ms. Rawlings established in the Florida “scrub.” 

 

Katherine Cotheal Budd (1860-1951) was born in Clinton, Iowa and lived much of her life in New York. But she spent about three years in Florida where she designed two notable estates ~ the Howey Mansion in Howey-in-the-Hills and the Harry C. Duncan House in Tavares. Both these mansions are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She lived the last ten years of her life in Arizona.

Howey Mansion

In coming months, I'll feature more authors, artists, and architects. How interesting it'll be to see if they're "Flo-grown" or "Honorary" Floridians. 

If you missed any of the above posts, then click on these links to find out more about these amazing individuals.

Florida's Featured Author ~ Julia Daniels Moseley

Florida's Featured Artist ~ Mary Ann Carroll 

Florida's Featured Author ~ Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Florida's Featured Architect ~ Katherine Cotheal Budd

Johnnie Alexander is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of more than thirty works of fiction in multiple genres. She is both traditionally and indie-published, serves as board secretary for the Mosaic Collection, LLC (an indie-author group) and faculty chair for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference; co-hosts Writers Chat, a weekly online show; and contributes to the HHHistory.com blog. With a heart for making memories, Johnnie is a fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips. Connect with her at JohnnieAlexander.com.

[Note ~ to find more information about photos and sources, click on the links for the individual posts.]

Florida’s Featured Artist ~ Mary Ann Carroll

 

The Florida Highwaymen, mostly self-taught artists who sold their landscapes from the trunks of their cars in the 1950s and 60s, included one amazing and talented woman.

 

Mary Ann Carroll, the only woman of the twenty-six Original Highwaymen, once said: “'From my youth, I could draw anything I could see'” (History). 

 

That talent eventually led to her recognition as “an icon on the Highwaymen Heritage Trail” (Carroll). 

Since this group of Black artists were excluded from showing their work at art galleries, they traveled throughout southeast Florida and went door-to-door to sell their colorful impressionistic paintings—unique artwork unlike any others of the era.

A reporter for the New York Times wrote: “More than anything, what distinguished the Highwaymen artists were their colorful landscapes…Organic colors were not their main focus; they wanted to wow buyers with burnt-orange Florida skies or unnaturally florescent clouds” [Hurd].

Ms. Carroll, like the other twenty-five Highwaymen, “travelled across the state, selling her art at hotels, offices, and restaurants where she was not allowed to drink, eat, or even sit. If the Highwaymen faced discrimination at every door they knocked on, then the challenges--and dangers--were magnified for Carroll. She took pride in always having her pristine Buick gassed and ready to go and her small handgun cleaned and ready to use” (Florida).

 

As difficult as finding buyers must have been for a mother of seven children, Ms. Carroll’s artistic career provided a better income than working as a maid, nurse’s aide, or housepainter. Plus, when she wasn’t traveling, she could work from home.

 

When she was on the road, however, she managed to stay in touch with her children despite the lack of cell phones. She holds the distinction of being the first woman in the Fort Pierce CB (citizens band radio) Chapter. Her handle was Lady Heartbreaker #101, and she affectionately referred to her children as Baby Heartbreakers (Memorial).

 

The Highwaymen faded into obscurity during the 70s and 80s but enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-1990s when “Jim Fitch, a Florida art historian, and Jeff Klinkenberg, of the St. Petersburg Times, wrote several newspaper articles about the group whom Fitch dubbed ‘The Florida Highwaymen’ for their business of selling art door-to-door along US Highway 1” (Wikipedia). 

 

The publicity renewed interest in the Highwaymen and increased the value of their paintings. Attics were searched and yard sales were scoured for forgotten Highwaymen artwork!

 

We learn this from the Florida Department of State (FDOS) website:

 

“Since the revival of interest in the Highwaymen, [Mary Ann Carroll’s] paintings are now in great demand. Her work is noted for her use of vivid colors. Besides being an accomplished painter, Carroll was a musician and gospel singer and could be found on Sundays preaching and singing at her own ministry in Fort Pierce.”

 

Quick Bio

 

Born ~ November 30, 1940 in Sandersville, Georgia

Parents ~ Lenora "Coot" Jones Pullen and B.W. Snead

Married ~ James Brady Carroll

Died ~ December 4, 2019

Buried ~ Pine Grove Cemetery, Fort Pierce, Florida

 

Important Dates

 

2004 ~ All 26 Florida Highwaymen were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.

 

May 2009 ~ Ms. Carroll was elected the first president of the Florida Highwaymen Artists and History Center.

Untitled Poinciana Tree

May 2011 ~ As guest of honor at a prestigious First Lady’s Luncheon, Ms. Carroll presented an original poinciana tree painting to Michelle Obama.

February 2019 ~ Ms. Carroll was named as Florida's Featured Artist in Celebration of Black History Month by Casey DeSantis, Florida's First Lady. 

 

March 2020 ~ The Florida Legislature honored the Florida Highwaymen by creating a specialty license plate.

 

Legacy

Ms. Carroll often referred to herself as "Queen of the Road." An annual exhibition of the Florida Highwaymen’s artwork is held at the A. E. Backus Gallery and Museum, Fort Pierce, Florida.

 

Tallahassee’s Museum of Florida has paintings by twenty-three of the original twenty-six artists in their collection.

Your Turn

Did you know about Mary Ann Carroll or the Florida Highwaymen before reading this post? Does their colorful style appeal to you? Which of these paintings would you want in your home?

Johnnie Alexander is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of more than thirty works of fiction in multiple genres. She is both traditionally and indie-published, serves as board secretary for the Mosaic Collection, LLC (an indie-author group) and faculty chair for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference; co-hosts Writers Chat, a weekly online show; and contributes to the HHHistory.com blog. With a heart for making memories, Johnnie is a fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips. Connect with her at JohnnieAlexander.com. 

Photo

 

Untitled Poinciana Tree; Oil on canvas, 2004; H: 29” W: 35”; Acquired from the artist in 2004; Collection of the Museum of Florida History. https://dos.fl.gov/historical/museums/historical-museums/united-connections/women-in-history/mary-ann-carroll/

Sources

Carroll ~ https://highwaymenajbrown.com/mary-ann-carroll/

FDOS (Florida Department of State) ~ https://dos.fl.gov/historical/museums/historical-museums/united-connections/women-in-history/mary-ann-carroll

Florida ~ https://www.floridahighwaymenpaintings.com/highwaymen/mary-ann-carroll/

History (Orlando County Regional History Center) ~ https://www.thehistorycenter.org/mary-ann-carroll/

Hurd, Gordon K. (2019). “Alfred Hair: A charismatic businessman who created a movement for Florida’s black artists.” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/obituaries/alfred-hair-overlooked.html

Memorial ~ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/205398989/mary-ann-carroll

Wikipedia ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Highwaymen_(landscape_artists)