Los Lunas artist Molly Mendenhall paints a mural in the lobby of the New Mexico History Museum commemorating the centennial of Route 66. Courtesy/NMDCA
NMDCA News:
SANTA FE — Route 66’s centennial is being celebrated with a new lobby mural at New Mexico History Museum in conjunction with an exhibition at the Governor’s Gallery featuring all five finalists’ designs. A public mural unveiling will be held at the museum 1-3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 4, The exhibit, “Mother Road: Route 66 in New Mexico,” opens at the Governor’s Gallery Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.
Los Lunas Artist Molly Mendenhall was selected to design and paint a mural of America’s most famous highway for the museum’s lobby. She was picked out of 190 submissions and has been painting the 26- by 11-foot mural since mid-November.
“I love being a New Mexican, so painting a mural commemorating the centennial has been a surreal and incredible opportunity,” Mendenhall said. “I have found so much of my own sense of belonging in and around downtown Albuquerque and its vibrant stretch of Route 66. I’m happy to be cultivating a network of creatives and small businesses and connecting with community-minded people.”
Mendenhall’s mural, “Mother Road Coming into Color,” illustrates a transition from past to present using a sepia-washed and stippled (small dotted) 1930’s scene that changes into a colorful modern vision of Albuquerque in the distance. She will talk about the mural and her creative process at the opening reception Jan. 4.
The museum is also celebrating the route’s legacy of travel and adventure in, “Mother Road: Route 66 in New Mexico,” an exhibition at the Governor’s Gallery, inside the Capitol Building Roundhouse. The exhibition will feature mock-ups of the artwork submitted by the five mural finalists who submitted renderings in July of 2025. Keri Schroeder, Palace Press Curator and mural project manager, said the museum was impressed by the quality of proposals, so they wanted to showcase the five finalists’ work in a separate exhibit.
The mural designs interpret Route 66’s cultural and historical importance through each artist’s creative and contemporary lens. Artists include Gabriel Eng-Goetz, Michael Ferrarell, Brianna Gardocki, and KEY DETAIL, in addition to Mendenhall. “Mother Road: Route 66 in New Mexico,” will be on display Jan. 12-April 4, 2026.
About New Mexico History Museum
New Mexico History Museum, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, offers a welcoming place for exploration of multifaceted views on history, dialog that bridges social and cultural divides, and reflection on the conditions needed for a more resilient, just, and sustainable future. The NMHM campus is on the north side of the historic Santa Fe Plaza. Learn more at nmhistory.org.