America Presents
"Social phenomenon of the Highwaymen as “outsider” artists"
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Prof. Gary Monroe, a native of Miami Beach, Florida received a master's degree in the fine arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1977. Upon returning home, he spent ten years photographing the old-world Jewish community that characterized South Beach. Since then, he has photographed throughout Florida, with focus on the social phenomenon of tourism, especially at Disney World, as well as the spiritualism at Cassadaga, and Haitian communities throughout the state. His photography has taken him to Haiti frequently, as well as to Brazil, Israel, Cuba, India, and Trinidad. Prof. Monroe has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Florida Department of State's Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Humanities Council, and the Fulbright Foundation to support his photography. His long-time interest in "outsider" and vernacular art spurred his research about the Highwaymen. His book The Highwaymen: Florida's African-American Landscape Painters was published by the University Press of Florida (October 2001). He has also written Extraordinary Interpretations: Self-taught Florida Artists. Prof. Monroe lives in DeLand, Florida and teaches photography at Daytona Beach Community College.
