The New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe recently unveiled a mural that commemorates Route 66’s centennial this year.
Albuquerque artist Molly Mendenhall created the artwork, titled “Mother Road Coming into Color,” reported KRQE-TV in Albuquerque.
She came up with the idea to depict the changing landscape of New Mexico through time, largely defined by Route 66.
“The first half of the mural is this black and white,” Mendenhall said. “I wanted to do something that looked like an old photograph or etching that felt more aged. So I did this car that’s loaded up because I wanted to show the more rugged side of what it was like for families that were moving in the ’30s and ’40s and what Route 66 meant for those people.”
“The Mother Road Coming into Color” took about four and a half weeks to create, after the museum’s selection process. Molly said that as the mural goes from black and white to color, it was important to her to highlight key areas of Albuquerque. From the vibrant clouds and the downtown area, to the sunset on the Sandias.
The mural will remain in the lobby of the New Mexico History Museum through the end of this year. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday through Sunday and daily during the spring and summer months.
(Screen-capture image from KQRE-TV video of the Route 66 centennial mural at the New Mexico History Museum)