Our Veterans Voice Radio Show · EverGreen Media Network

Highwaymen Artists and Ralph's Stories

March 4, 2026·25 min·2 clips

Discover how Al Black legally signed other Highwaymen's paintings, creating confusion for buyers today.

1. Our Veterans Voice Radio Show host Ralph Nathanaelko devotes this episode to educating buyers and collectors about the Florida Highwaymen art movement. 2. Ralph is joined by co-host Cindy Schwartz; Ralph operates a Highwaymen gallery at 1872 Commerce Avenue in Vero Beach and has personal relationships with 16 of the 26 original artists. 3. The episode's core thesis is that widespread market confusion about who qualifies as a 'Highwayman' leads buyers to overpay or be deceived, and Ralph wants to provide a clear taxonomy. 4. In 2004, the state of Florida inducted exactly 26 artists into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, and those 26 names are the only legal holders of the 'Highwayman' designation. 5. Children of any of the 26 who paint Florida landscape scenes are automatically designated 'second generation,' regardless of their skill level — Tracy Newton, son of Hall of Famer Sam Newton, is given as an example. 6. A 'legacy' artist is someone trained directly by one of the 26 originals, such as a student taught by Al Black; there is no formal contract or certification, making the designation difficult to verify. 7. Artists who paint Florida landscapes in the Highwaymen style but have no lineage or training connection to the 26 may use terms like 'Highwaymen-style' or 'Highwaymen landscape' but cannot claim the Highwaymen title. 8. Alfred Hair, who died in 1970 at age 29, was the most prolific of the 26; Ralph calls him 'the Henry Ford of the Highwaymen' for his assembly-line method of painting 12 canvases simultaneously. 9. Peers eventually warned Hair that his high volume was cheapening his brand, so he began signing canvases 'Freddy' — a nickname — only to find that buyers would not pay Alfred-level prices for an unfamiliar signature. 10. Al Black, one of the 26, was described as a gifted salesman who could 'sell a broken refrigerator in a snowstorm in Alaska'; other artists gave him unsigned wet paintings to sell, and he would sign them with his own name with their permission. 11. Ralph notes that Al Black signing a painting he did not personally paint creates legitimate but confusing provenance: the signature is authentic, the hand is not Al Black's. 12. As of the recording date of March 7th, only two of the original 26 Highwaymen are still alive: Curtis Arnett and Sam Newton; three weeks prior, Robert R. Lewis and Willie Reagan had both died. 13. Ralph warns that a painting not signed by one of the 26 is not a Highwaymen painting, regardless of style, quality, or what a seller claims. 14. He offers to take phone calls in real time from buyers standing in front of any painting — call 954-557-6226, describe the signature, size, medium, and price, and he will give a free opinion. 15. Gary Monroe's book, simply called 'The Bible' within the Highwaymen community, was published around 2001 by University Press and is currently in its 18th printing — an outcome the publisher calls unprecedented. 16. A newer reference book by Katherine Enns, described as roughly two inches thick, has just gone into its second printing and is considered equally authoritative alongside Monroe's work. 17. The episode is conversational radio, with Cindy Schwartz prompting Ralph and occasionally adding clarifying details; the tone is informal but earnest and consumer-protective. 18. Ralph repeatedly emphasizes personal loyalty to the movement's credibility over commercial interest, saying he will tell a buyer a painting is a bargain even if he does not own it. 19. Collectors, antique-shop browsers, and anyone considering buying Florida folk art will find this episode directly useful. 20. Listeners with no interest in Florida regional art history or Highwaymen provenance will find little of general interest.

As heard by us

A plainspoken look at the paintings, with buyer caution and useful context.

The episode keeps things plain and practical. It walks through the artists, the paintings, and the awkward questions around how the work was made, sold, and sometimes signed.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want the High Women story with the backstory and the controversy.

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