Mary Ann Carroll was the sole woman among the Florida Highwaymen, a group of 26 self-taught African American artists who painted and sold landscape scenes along Florida’s highways in the 1950s and beyond. As a single mother of seven, Carroll turned to painting as a means of economic survival, developing a distinctive style characterized by bold palettes, sweeping brushstrokes, and radiant Florida skies. Queen of the Highwaymen presents a collection of her most significant works, celebrating her artistic vision and the cultural movement she helped define. This exhibition not only highlights Carroll’s extraordinary talent but also underscores her resilience in an era of segregation and limited opportunities for Black artists.

The exhibition annually presents a curated group of ten emerging to mid-career artists working across diverse disciplines. Organized by OMA and juried by institutions including Crystal Bridges Museum, the exhibition fosters both public engagement (via the People’s Choice award) and professional recognition (via the $20,000 juried prize). This edition features works that traverse personal and collective memory, environmental connection, urban transformation, and unseen societal layers. The exhibition serves as a survey of contemporary visual expression across Florida, merging immersive installations, tactile ceramics, delicate drawing, expressive textiles, and digital media. It reflects OMA's mission to connect communities with thought-provoking, contemporary artistic voices