Annie Nobles Miller, Florida Oil Painting African American Woman Art Annie Nobles Miller Indian River, 1967

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"Annie Nobles Miller"
Abstract Florida landscape oil on board painting
Hand signed lower left Inscribed on verso St. Lucie County.
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Abstract Florida landscape oil on board painting
Hand signed lower left Inscribed on verso St. Lucie County.
Measures: Board 24"H x 30"W; Framed - 32"H x 38"W.

Annie Miller was a member of the Indian River School of Painting, which was not a formal school but was a group of mostly African-American Florida working class people who wanted to paint. Following is the explanation of that school and its participants. Indian River School is a name applied to Floridian artists in the 1950's and 1960's. They were heavily influenced by nature. Most of the artists in this movement were African American. Their work is characterized by quick strokes and eschews traditional methods of paintings. The main influence for the group was a man named A.E. Backus, a Bohemian white man who mentored the group of young black artists. The group used to congregate in his studio and learnt to paint from 'Beanie' (as he was called) as a way out of their lower class labour jobs. Their work was powerful, dramatic yet captured the serenity and beauty of the Florida
Although the exact count of artists mentored by A.E. Backus remains unknown, experts estimate it to be around 20 individuals, many of whom he supported through college.
Albert Ernest "Beanie" Backus (1906–1990) was famous for his vivid, naturalist Florida landscapes capturing a fast-vanishing Florida wild lands. Backus would come to be seen as the seminal Florida landscape painter, and others who followed would emulate him. Primarily of the Indian River and Everglades areas of Florida. Backus was a Native Floridian artist of great importance recreating scenes of Florida's sky, rivers, ocean, back country, unpredictable weather, clouds, and birds. Born in Fort Pierce, FL to a family of talented boat designers and builders. His "Uncle" Reg Goodwin helped Backus as a young painter go to the Parsons School of Fine Art in New York in 1924. He was referred to as “Florida’s painter laureate,” and the “Dean of Florida’s landscape painters.”In addition to his influence on the Florida Highwaymen painters (Alfred Hair being the only Highwaymen artist that took lessons with Backus), there is an unknown number of Backus students. Many of these artists got started by visiting the Backus Studio, in Fort Pierce. These artists are referred to as the "Indian River School" of painters. Some of these well known artists include: Don Darwin "D.D." Brown (b. 1947), Mary Coulter, Jacquelyn "Jackie" Schindehette (b. 1946), Therese Knowles (1918-2008), Jackie Brice (b.1936), James (Jim) F. Hutchinson (1932-2023), Richard Kelly, Nora Summerlin, Kevin Hutchinson, Sam Vinikoff (1919-2010), Kasper Zimmermann (1927-2002), Margaret Zierer Smith (1913-2004) See less