Athens Bar Displays Rare Highwaymen Painting
The Manhattan Cafe on North Hull Street features a unique vintage piece of roadside art.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Painting
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The Manhattan Cafe in Athens, Georgia, showcases a vintage painting by a Highwaymen artist depicting Jesus guiding a truck driver. Owner Joey Tatum displays the piece to help cultivate a time capsule atmosphere within the bar.
Why it matters
The Highwaymen art movement, known for quick roadside landscape paintings by African American artists, represents a distinct style of cultural history. By sourcing and displaying these works, owners preserve regional art that might otherwise be overlooked.
Original Highwaymen paintings can retail for hundreds to thousands of dollars at auction. The piece currently on display at the cafe was purchased at a flea market on Commerce Road.
The players
Joey Tatum
He is the owner of both the Manhattan Cafe and the Little Kings Shuffle Club located in Athens.
The details
The artwork depicts Jesus guiding a truck driver, an unusual thematic choice within the broader Highwaymen movement. Employees at the Manhattan Cafe have utilized the painting's imagery to create custom t-shirt designs sold directly at the bar.
Timeline
The Manhattan Cafe marquee and business name originated in the 1940s.
Culture Shift
The preservation of this artwork follows a pattern set by the Highwaymen art movement in its focus on the legacy of African American roadside painters. This reflects a broader societal shift toward valuing regional folk art as essential historical artifacts.
Residents and visitors to the Manhattan Cafe on North Hull Street can view the historical piece as part of the bar's unique decor. Customers also have the opportunity to purchase t-shirts featuring the painting's distinctive imagery during their visit.
The takeaway
Highwaymen paintings are highly sought after for their cultural significance and distinct artistic origin. Collectors and enthusiasts should explore local flea markets to discover hidden pieces of regional history for their own collections.
Further reading
Discover more about local creative efforts in the Painting section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rough Draft Atlanta.
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