Florida’s Only Original Highwaywoman, to Help Kick off Black History Month at Fort Lauderdale History Museum Art Talk, Reception & Show : Why Preserving the Outsider Artist Legacy Matters! Highwaywoman Mary Ann Carroll showcases her art Fort Lauderdale, Florida They were known as the Highwaymen, 26 African-American landscape artists from Fort Pierce Florida, who bucked the odds by overcoming the obstacles of the “Jim Crow” South, carving out a unique spot for themselves in Florida’s artistic and cultural history. During the 1950’s and 60’s before the moniker “highwaymen” caught on, these largely anonymous artists made a living selling their original paintings of Florida landscapes from the trunks of their cars. Little did they know they were creating folk art under the radar of the traditional art world. On Friday February 3rd, 2017 Mary Ann Carroll, Florida’s only Highwaywoman will be among a distinguished panel of art exhibitors at the Fort Lauderdale History Museum. Carroll, Second Generation Highwaymen Artist Kelvin Hair and Designer Marsha McDonald will discuss the importance of preserving the legacy of Outsider Art. The discussion will be moderated by Clare Vickery of Grace Arts, FL. Highwaymen Artwork will be on display and available for purchase after the discussion from (7–9 PM). The event is free and open to the public. The Friday talk and exhibit will kick off a Black History weekend at the Fort Lauderdale History Museum highlighting diverse Florida Outsider Artists and will include pop up exhibits and conversations. Click here for the complete schedule of events. Click here to read more

For Immediate Release Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fierce imagination and emotional, complexity describes the paintings of the late Reva Freedman, one of South Florida's outstanding Outsider Artists. Her works are part of a dynamic new exhibit opening to the public December 4, 2016 at Fort Lauderdale History Museum. Titled, 'Reinterpreting the Pioneer,' the exhibition is a posthumous tribute to Freedman, a self-taught, second-career South Florida painter/ classically trained violinist. She wow'd Broward County, Florida and the broader art community beginning in the 80's with her personal aesthetic and style receiving numerous awards and commissions. Up until her death in 2011, Ms. Freedman continued to put out an impressive body of work despite her struggles with dementia. The Reinterpreting the Pioneer exhibit, features a number of notable Florida artists who blazed a trail in the state's proud Outsider Art tradition as well. Reva is one of the few female artists because women weren't easily accepted as artists in the 80's, especially if they were self-taught and claiming art as a second career. The exhibit will also feature monthly community labs, pop-up art events, and special guests. The exhibition seeks to connect visitors to the featured outsider artists, including Reva, as a means of defining what makes Broward's community culture distinctive. Local self-taught and institutionally trained artists will also collaborate and share their installations about cultural pioneers and noted outsider artists. "Outsider Art, is an important genre which embodies the consciousness of relatively unknown people. Outsider artists, like Reva," said Exhibit co-curator Clare Vickery of Grace Art Center Florida," were 'outsiders' to the conventional art community, disconnected from traditional power and resources that came from institutional training, yet they made an impact on South Florida culture. Their lens is perfect to view history of lesser known people groups who impacted Broward's history and distinctive character. Some of the state's best storytelling historians and art experts will reveal the special link between Outsider art, diversity and innovation." For example, Gary Monroe, a lifelong advocate and archiver of Outsider Art, met Reva in the 80's when he returned to South Florida with a MFA and became enthralled with the nascent Outsider Art scene. He was impressed with Reva's vision and in his 2003 book 'Extraordinary Interpretations: Florida's Self-Taught Artists,' he quoted her saying, I don't paint for fun...I paint every night...paint all night..smearing here and there. The same picture can be changed 20 times." She enjoyed reacting to her paintings, not allowing thought to inhibit her visual associations. Monroe has also written extensively on the Florida Highwaymen and is curating several museum exhibitions opening in South Florida in 2017-2018. Twenty (20) of Reva's works from each stage of her painting career (1980-2011) will be on exhibit and available for purchase to benefit the family foundation. Her daughter, Sue Felner, a life long advocate for autistic children in Broward County schools, hopes that her mother's legacy of creativity will benefit advancement in treatment and quality of life for those living on the autism spectrum. The public is invited to engage with Freedman's work as well as the work of other pioneering South Florida artists on Sunday, December 4th from 12 to 5pm . __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What: 'Reinterpreting the Pioneer' Exhibit featuring Outsider Artist Reva Freedman Where: Fort Lauderdale History Museum at the Historic New River Inn, 231 SW 2nd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311. When: Friday December 2, Doors Open at 6:00 PM with a Press and Invitation only reception. Author Gary Monroe presentation at 7:00 PM. Exhibition opens to the general public Sunday, December 4 from 12 - 5 PM Details: A complete List of the Artists and events can be found here. Curators: Clare Vickery of Grace Arts Center Florida and Lisa Stone Arts. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ About Outsider Art Outsider Art has been a growing phenomena since the 1940's when Frenchman, Jean Debuffet, began a fascination with 'low art' or art of the common man. Artists making art out of the context of art history, removed from the artistic institutions, apart from the dialogue and marketplace of contemporary art. Outsider artists were isolated, working in basements, prison cells, psychiatric wards or rural towns where art was, at least in theory, born purely of the individual imagination and about everyday life. Popular 'Folk Art' also falls under the broad category of Outsider Art. The term 'Outsider' art, coined by Roger Cardinal was synonymous until the 1980s with the art brut movement begun by Debuffet, is now any work of art produced by an untrained, idiosyncratic, or marginalized artist who is typically unconnected to the conventional art world - not necessarily by choice but by circumstance. In 1987, the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art (now the NSU Arts Museum) boldly launched an exhibit called 'A Separate Reality - Florida Eccentrics' curated by Karen Valdes under the leadership of then Executive Director, George Bolge (now ED, Deland Museum of Art). Outsider art genre continues to grow in popularity with the general public, the community of art collectors and museums. This exhibition celebrates the 30 year anniversary of Florida's Outsider Artist exhibit in Fort Lauderdale for then sixteen artists (one of whom was Purvis Young) who grew in popularity through the years. The Outsider Art Fair in New York City and Paris continue to grow in popularity. photo credit: b&w/ Miami Herald 1987 photo credit: color/Original works by Reva Freedman

Miami, Fla She Got Game Media, an award-winning boutique public relations agency in Miami, Fla, has launched Dealer Buddies, a public relations and social media platform for auto dealerships. Dealer Buddies helps small to mid-size dealerships do a better job at reaching potential customers via social media. Dealer Buddies provide online and social media management, review monitoring, advertising content development, event promotion and traditional public relations services. "Many auto dealerships don't think about public relations until there are negative issues they are desperate to correct such as bad customer reviews on Google or Yelp, said Tandaleya Wilder, President of She Got Game Media. "Many have also been slow to capitalize on the huge demographic of consumers who use social media on a daily basis. Our team understands some auto dealership owners aren't social media savvy and haven't made social media a priority when engaging potential consumers. Dealer Buddies takes the guess work out of social media for dealerships by creating profiles of the dealership on several social media platforms and creatively managing them. "The reality is, it is no longer a wise business practice to ignore these platforms, especially when the average American is spending 40 minutes a day on Facebook, 21 minutes per day on Instagram, and 40 minutes a day on YouTube. "Unlike some companies that automate the social media posting process, the Dealer Buddies team is hands on. Dealer Buddies offer insight about potential customers through sales and purchasing trends," Wilder said. "They've been a real game changer for our business," said Perry Sasson, of Kosher Motors in Hallandale Beach. "Not only have we gotten a much needed social media makeover on FB, Twitter, and Instagram, the results have been great for our bottom line. More customers are coming in," he added. Research shows when shopping for a new or used car most consumers are going online before they head to the dealership and many people expect more than just a Carfax or website view of the inventory. Today's savvy car or truck buyer is scouring reviews and factoring in the dealership's social media engagement with its customers as part of their car buying equation. To learn more visit www.dealerbuddies.com .

Click the photo to read Kosher Motor's press release

http://www.local10.com/news/highwaymen-display-art-pieces-in-south-florida-for-black-history-month Shout out to WPLG Reporter Neki Mohan for the excellent coverage on the Florida Highwaymen Exhibit at the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society.‪ #‎shegotgame‬. If you haven't seen this incredible exhibit-make sure you do. Courtesy WPLG TV.

Entrepreneur and pioneering public radio sports journalist Tandaleya Wilder was named one of Miami-Dade County's 25 Most Influential & Prominent Black Women in Business and Leadership for 2014. Legacy Miami publisher Joycelyn Brown presented the award to Wilder during a VIP luncheon reception on September 19th at Morton's Steakhouse in Miami, Florida. Tandaleya, also known as 'Miss She Got Game,' is an entrepreneur, digital media consultant, Hot 105 radio personality and an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience elevating the brands of some of the nation's most influential thought leaders and rising stars. She created the nation's first women's sports radio internet show called "She Got Game," a Gracie Allen award-winning program. Years later she expanded the show into a powerful brand and boutique PR firm, She Got Game Media. Wilder is also the co-founder of The Foundation Guy, a celebrity nonprofit marketing firm. She has worked with top celebrity clients including comedienne Sheryl Underwood, author Michael Eric Dyson, radio host Rick Party, American Idol Symphony Howlett and Broadway performer Gelan Lambert, among others. Recently she and celebrity reporter Tanisha Smith of Celebrityitis Magazine launched SOBE Agency, a new talent management company based in South Beach, Miami. Click here to read more

Shout out to News 12 Connecticut for the excellent coverage on our Guy Fortt the #FearlessAt50Guy http://connecticut.news12.com/news/stamford-firefighter-stars-in-super-bowl-ad-1.11448722