ART
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scenes of south-central Florida. It is the official keeper of the
flame of the legacy of Backus, the legendary Fort Pierce-born
landscape artist whose work endures as the quintessential
record of Florida’s natural beauty. Its growing collection of
Florida Highwaymen paintings celebrates the internationally
recognized painting phenomenon that occurred in the city’s
African-American community.
The gallery and museum will be celebrating its 50th anniversary
next year with a number of special events. In true
Backus fashion, the party will start early; documents show
that the building’s construction was not completed until September,
1961.
“Bean” Backus himself
perhaps would never have
dreamed that his idea to
establish an art gallery
would have had such a
lasting impact. Back in
1959, he only knew that
Fort Pierce, despite its
size, had a rather large
group of artists who
needed a place to show
and sell their works. The
idea was encouraged
by a drinking buddy, a
wealthy retiree named
Art Shapiro, who often
dropped by the studio to
watch Backus paint.
THE DEAL
In 1960, the city of Fort
Pierce offered to lease Memorial
Park, a portion of its
newfound riverfront land,
which had been shored up
with hurricane debris from
a 1950s-era storm, for $1 a
year, a contract that holds
today.
When the deal was finalized
between the city and
what was then called the
Fort Pierce Art League, the
local newspaper reported that
the building’s design plans
showed “an attractive single
story structure with modernistic
lines and landscaping” that
would “feature a wide overhanging
roof so that paintings
could be exhibited outside as
well as inside.”
Kathleen Frederick, who has
been the gallery’s director for 10
years, laughs when she thinks
of that description and how the
early building hardly fits with today’s
demand for climate control
and high security. Designed by
Fort Pierce architect Ken Starratt,
who volunteered to do the job, it >>
In 1969, local historian and Backus friend Blanche Fagan wrote about
the early days of what was then called the Fort Pierce Art Gallery. A
clipping from The News-Tribune describes the 1960 City Commission
meeting that approved the gallery plans.