Museum Address
120 Sams Ave, New Smyrna Beach FL 32168
Museum Open
Tuesday - Saturday
10 AM - 4 PM
A unique gift shop located in the New Smyrna Museum of History. Featuring literature, clothing, gifts, artwork and much more!
"Mary Ann Carroll, First Lady of the Highwaymen"
By Gary Monroe
In the years since the art world discovered them, much has been made about the Highwaymen. The loosely knit band of African American painters whose edenic Florida landscapes, created with inexpensive materials and sold out of their cars, "shaped the state's popular image as much as oranges and alligators" (New York Times). But lost in the legends surrounding the group is the mesmerizing story of Mary Ann Carroll, the only female "Highwayman".
In 1957, sixteen-year-old Carroll met Harold Newton, later dubbed the original Highwayman. He was painting a landscape along the side of the road, and there were red flames on his car. Yet what surprised the young African American girl most of all was discovering a black man who didn't work in the orange groves, who made a living off of his paintings. It wasn't long before she was creating and selling her own landscapes, and the other Highwaymen, taking note of her startling use of color, welcomed her into the fold.
Carroll sold her first painting at eighteen, remarkable for any young artist, unheard of for a black woman in the South. Like her Highwaymen brethren, she 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.
After years of virtual obscurity, Carroll was invited to the First Lady's Luncheon in 2011, where she presented a painting of her iconic poinciana to Michelle Obama. Today, she is pastor of the Foundation Revival Center in Fort Pierce, is an accomplished artists and musician, and still paints and exhibits her work widely.
Marey Ann Carroll is the never-before-told story of the black female artist's hard-fought journey to provide for her family while also making a name for herself in a man's world.
The Gift Shop at the New Smyrna Museum of History, offering unique gifts, literature, apparel, artwork, consumables and toys. Explore items that reflect upon the eclectic history of Southeast Volusia County.
Just in time for the holidays, the Museum of History giftshop online.
Southeast Volusia Historical Society
New Smyrna Museum of History
The mission of the Southeast Volusia Historical Society is to collect, archive, display, and make available to the public artifacts related to the Southeast Volusia County area. Through the New Smyrna Museum of History we promote interest in, and knowledge of, local history and culture.
Museum Open
Tuesday - Saturday
10 AM - 4 PM