As Route 66 marks its 100th anniversary Nov. 11, The University of New Mexico is bringing together research, collections, exhibitions and public engagement to explore the highway as a living cultural landscape shaped by New Mexico communities.
On Nov. 11 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., UNM will celebrate the Route 66 centennial with a program in Zimmerman Library featuring a presentation by cultural anthropologist and photo ethnographer Donatella Davanzo on her "Route 66 Connected" research project, an opportunity to explore "Life and Landscape: Route 66 in New Mexico," an exhibition co-curated by Davanzo and Audra Bellmore. Cake and savory refreshments will be served to celebrate the Mother Road's 100th birthday.
Davanzo's three-year "Route 66 Connected" project documents the highway's diverse and complex stories across New Mexico, highlighting both its tangible and intangible heritage and how communities continue to preserve, interpret, and reshape its meaning. Supported in part by UNM's Center for Regional Studies and the National Park Service, "Route 66 Connected" brings together cultural anthropology, photography, documentation and digital mapping. The project includes Davanzo's 2026 publication, Mapping the Authentic Mother Road: A Cultural and Visual Atlas through New Mexico, as well as an interactive digital map displayed at the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections.
The research reflects the Center for Regional Studies' commitment to understanding the distinctive history and culture of New Mexico. As CRS Director Damián Vergara Wilson noted, the project adds a sociocultural dimension to how people perceive Route 66, taking "an iconic piece of American history" and inviting audiences "to view it in new ways."
That spirit of discovery extends to "Life and Landscape: Route 66 in New Mexico," on view in the Waters Room. The exhibition approaches the highway as a living corridor of community memory, resilience and cultural exchange. It explores how Route 66 has connected New Mexico's people and communities across generations and how its legacy continues to shape everyday life today.
"Life and Landscape demonstrates the power of bringing collections, scholarship, and community together," said Amy Jackson, associate dean for University Libraries. "By bringing many voices and perspectives into conversation, we can create new ways for people to engage with New Mexico's history and see their own communities reflected in it. As Route 66 marks its centennial, we are proud to share a story that is distinctly New Mexican while connecting our state to a broader national history."
The research project, digital map, exhibition and centennial program demonstrate how collaboration across scholarship, special collections, digital initiatives and community engagement can create new ways of understanding a familiar landscape. Rather than looking back at Route 66 only through nostalgia, these projects ask what becomes visible when the highway is understood through the experiences, memories and cultural landscapes of the communities through which it passes.
Tim Castillo, director for UNM Community Engagement Initiatives, said "Route 66 Connected" supports the office's mission by connecting UNM scholarship with the communities, cultural heritage and living landscapes shaped by the highway across New Mexico.
"By documenting and sharing both the tangible and intangible heritage of the Mother Road, the event demonstrates how community-engaged scholarship can preserve local knowledge, elevate community narratives, and strengthen public understanding of New Mexico's diverse cultural heritage," Castillo said.
The Nov. 11 event offers the campus and broader community an opportunity to explore Route 66's history and continuing cultural significance through research, collections and community perspectives.
