Albuquerque’s Route 66 visitors center is now open, featuring a new exhibit celebrating 100 years of the “Mother Road.” “We’re really trying to lift up Albuquerque’s role in that history,” said Dr. Shell Sanchez, director of arts and culture for Albuquerque. Sanchez said the opening of the visitors center is just the beginning.”Things are going to constantly evolve here, so I really encourage people to come out regularly,” she said. The exhibit, titled “Centennial Roots,” is a photographic tribute to the landscapes, cultures, and traditions that have evolved alongside Route 66. “A group of really great young dynamic photographers who’d been paying attention to Route 66 for a long time would really bring an interesting perspective,” Sanchez said. The featured photographers — Gabriela Campos, Jessica Roybal, and Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli — showcase contemporary perspectives of the road. “What I love about the images is that they show our Route 66, Albuquerque’s Route 66, also known as Central Avenue, very vibrant,” Sanchez said. “It shows the people, it shows the buildings, it shows the nightlife, it shows kind of the activity and energy of Central Avenue.” The exhibit includes framed pictures, banners hanging from the ceiling, and images displayed on the glass around the building. “It’s a great reflection of community and Route 66 through the eyes of artists, I feel like is always really important,” Sanchez said. The exhibit aims to engage visitors by celebrating the past while embracing the present.”When you’re celebrating the past to really embrace what it is today,” Sanchez said. The Route 66 visitors center is free to visit and is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center also hosts free concerts on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., featuring food trucks and breweries.
Albuquerque’s Route 66 visitors center is now open, featuring a new exhibit celebrating 100 years of the “Mother Road.”
“We’re really trying to lift up Albuquerque’s role in that history,” said Dr. Shell Sanchez, director of arts and culture for Albuquerque.
Sanchez said the opening of the visitors center is just the beginning.
“Things are going to constantly evolve here, so I really encourage people to come out regularly,” she said.
The exhibit, titled “Centennial Roots,” is a photographic tribute to the landscapes, cultures, and traditions that have evolved alongside Route 66.
“A group of really great young dynamic photographers who’d been paying attention to Route 66 for a long time would really bring an interesting perspective,” Sanchez said.
The featured photographers — Gabriela Campos, Jessica Roybal, and Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli — showcase contemporary perspectives of the road.
“What I love about the images is that they show our Route 66, Albuquerque’s Route 66, also known as Central Avenue, very vibrant,” Sanchez said. “It shows the people, it shows the buildings, it shows the nightlife, it shows kind of the activity and energy of Central Avenue.”
The exhibit includes framed pictures, banners hanging from the ceiling, and images displayed on the glass around the building.
“It’s a great reflection of community and Route 66 through the eyes of artists, I feel like is always really important,” Sanchez said.
The exhibit aims to engage visitors by celebrating the past while embracing the present.
“When you’re celebrating the past to really embrace what it is today,” Sanchez said.
The Route 66 visitors center is free to visit and is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center also hosts free concerts on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., featuring food trucks and breweries.
