ities ▁arose ▁for ▁these ▁and ▁other ▁African - American ▁artists ▁under ▁the ▁W PA . ▁In ▁later ▁years , ▁other ▁programs ▁and ▁institutions , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City - based ▁Harm on ▁Foundation , ▁helped ▁to ▁fost er ▁African - American ▁art istic ▁talent . ▁August a ▁Sav age , ▁Elizabeth ▁Cat lett , ▁Lo is ▁Mail ou ▁Jones , ▁Rom are ▁Be arden , ▁Jacob ▁Lawrence , ▁and ▁others ▁exhib ited ▁in ▁museum s ▁and ▁jur ied ▁art ▁shows , ▁and ▁built ▁re put ations ▁and ▁follow ings ▁for ▁themselves . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁there ▁were ▁very ▁few ▁widely ▁accepted ▁African - American ▁artists . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁The ▁Highway men , ▁a ▁loose ▁association ▁of ▁ 2 7 ▁African - American ▁artists ▁from ▁F t . ▁Pier ce , ▁Florida , ▁created ▁id yl lic , ▁quickly ▁realized ▁images ▁of ▁the ▁Florida ▁landscape ▁and ▁ped d led ▁some ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁tr unks ▁of ▁their ▁cars . ▁They ▁sold ▁their ▁art ▁directly ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁rather ▁than ▁through ▁gall eries ▁and ▁art ▁agents , ▁thus ▁receiving ▁the ▁name ▁" The ▁Highway men ". ▁Red isc over ed ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s , ▁today ▁they ▁are ▁recognized ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁part ▁of ▁American ▁folk ▁history . ▁Their ▁art work ▁is ▁widely ▁collected ▁by ▁enthus iast s ▁and ▁original ▁pieces ▁can ▁easily ▁fetch ▁thousands