From Screen Legend to Art Collector: Reynolds and the Highwaymen

Burt Reynolds may be best known for his films, but he also had an eye for the kind of art that feels unmistakably Floridian. Over the years, he built a notable collection of Florida Highwaymen paintings, drawn to the vivid colors and fast, confident brushwork that defined the group’s style.

His collection included works by Sam Newton, James Gibson, Johnny Daniels, and several classic, unsigned pieces that carried all the hallmarks of early Highwaymen craft. These were the sweeping rivers, leaning palms, and glowing skies painted on upson board in motel rooms, car trunks, and front yards across the state.

After Reynolds passed away, a number of these works surfaced at auction from the Collection of Burt Reynolds, and several of them appear in our current Highwaymen exhibit. Their presence adds a unique thread, connecting one of Florida’s most recognizable performers to one of its most influential artistic movements.

The Highwaymen, 26 self-taught African American artists inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004, included legends like Alfred Hair, Harold Newton, and the sole female painter, Mary Ann Carroll. Early works remain especially prized, and Reynolds clearly understood their value long before the broader public caught on.