I overlooked this story a few weeks ago, but the neon Route 66 sign at Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza in Tulsa was damaged by a thief or vandal. The sign has been taken down for repairs and will be re-erected when it's completed. --- Season 3 of the original "Route 66" television series will be … Continue reading Notes from the road
Category: Art
Art Deco preview
If y'all are attending the National Preservation Conference in Tulsa next week, here's a video that gives you a taste of the Art Deco architecture that's all over the city. The video contains a number of Route 66 sites, and briefly includes "Route 66: The Mother Road" author Michael Wallis. The video was produced by … Continue reading Art Deco preview
Artist is writing a book about Route 66
In a story from the Edmond (Okla.) Sun about artist Hall "Dr. D" Duncan being given Special Recognition by Gov. Brad Henry at the 33rd Annual Governor’s Arts Awards later this month is this little tidbit: He currently is writing a book that will allow children to enjoy learning about the history of Route 66. … Continue reading Artist is writing a book about Route 66
Art exhibit pays tribute to the road trip
The San Jose Museum of Art in San Jose, Calif., is hosting a major exhibit this fall called "Road Trip," a sometimes-whimsical exploration of that uniquely American experience. The museum's associate curator, Kristen Evangelista, put it together. According to this report from the San Jose Mercury News: The artists Evangelista chose for "Roadtrip" not only … Continue reading Art exhibit pays tribute to the road trip
Memories for sale
Here's an article from the Charlottesville (Va.) Daily Progress that lays out a man's story: Stuart E. Bruce stood on the shoulder of Route 66, and read the legendary highway like a sentence until it ran out of words against the far horizon. There, somewhere along the 432 miles of crumbling blacktop that cuts through … Continue reading Memories for sale
Old license plates turned into art
While surfing the Net for Mother Road-related stuff, I stumbled upon this Talk Market video of California artist Aaron Foster hawking a Route 66 shield made of old license plates. It turns out that Foster doesn't make just road shields. He's made peace signs, maps of the continental U.S. and states, and even portraits of … Continue reading Old license plates turned into art
Notes from the road
The Motel Safari in Tucumcari, N.M., has added another mural image, courtesy of local artist Doug Quarles. It's a 1953 Flxible Clipper bus. Motel owner Richard Talley also passed along this news: On another note, we just had our first celebrity guest check-in! No, it wasn't Sir Paul!!! During the annual Rattler Reunion weekend, a … Continue reading Notes from the road
Feat of clay
Here's a video about Bradley's Pottery on old Route 66 in Chandler, Okla. The clip was produced by the state's tourism department.
Old trucks inspire art
Artist Neil Hannum isn't inspired by waterfalls or sunsets. Instead, he likes old pickup trucks, especially ones with a bit of rust or a busted headlight. He shoots a photograph of the vehicle, paints a watercolor of it, and mounts it on a road sign or scraps of metal he picks up along the roadside. … Continue reading Old trucks inspire art
Cadillac Ranch goes Down Under
Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas, has inspired a number of imitations in recent years. First, you have Bug Ranch in Conway, Texas. Then there was Combine City in rural Amarillo. Then there was Airstream Ranch in Dover, Fla. Now, according to The Land farming magazine, a fellow in Australia is using old utility vehicles, or … Continue reading Cadillac Ranch goes Down Under