Arts & Culture outlines Route 66 centennial plans, names Meow Wolf and Refract as partners

All the major pieces are being lined up for Albuquerque’s Route 66 centennial, the city’s Department of Arts and Culture told the City Council on Wednesday.

Dr. Shel Sanchez, director of the Department of Arts and Culture, said the department has combined city support with outside grants and private funding to build a year of activations along the Route 66 corridor. "We have, the Department of Arts and Culture has brought in over, half million dollars from New Mexico true. The council brought in over $300,000 from I mean New Mexico tourism department New Mexico true money and we've also brought in a little bit of money from the national endowment for the arts and also the national trust for historic preservation," Sanchez said.

The department previewed a walking- and driving‑scale public‑art initiative called the "Art‑Fueled Road Trip," planned as about 20 stops between Singing Arrow Open Space and the Route 66 Visitor Center. Sanchez said the project will combine murals, sculptures and augmented‑reality content and will work with local artists and two lead creative partners: Refract Studio, an augmented‑reality studio based in Santa Fe, and Meow Wolf. "We just finalized our partnership with Meow Wolf and they'll be coming on board," she told the council.

Why it matters: the centennial is being used to coordinate cultural programming, historic interpretation and physical improvements along the Route 66 corridor. The presentation framed the effort as a multi‑department program that the city hopes will support tourism, neighborhood activation and longer‑term historic preservation.

Additional progress reported by the department included a new website developed with Visit Albuquerque, a revamp of the city’s historic‑sign restoration program and an inventory of historic signs along Fourth Street — the route’s original alignment in Albuquerque. Sanchez said 14 sign restoration projects were awarded, 12 were underway and about half were complete. She also noted a 25‑page interdepartmental report—made available to councilors and the public—that catalogs completed work, current expenditures, funding gaps and future opportunities.

Councilors asked about remaining city funding needs and revenue projections. Sanchez said the report’s final pages list projects that are fully funded, projects that require additional funding and community ideas that would need more resources to proceed, and she said staff would provide Visit Albuquerque’s visitation projections upon request.

Councilors and the presenter emphasized local partnerships. Councilor Pena commended staff for outreach and said she was "excited about all the things to come." Councilor Lewis asked whether additional city funds are being requested; Sanchez said some projects are fully funded while others remain contingent on future rounds of state or federal funding and philanthropic support.

The department distributed stickers, postcards and other promotional materials to council members and noted that much of the centennial material and a detailed report are posted on the city and Arts & Culture websites.

Looking ahead: Sanchez told the council the department will continue to seek additional grants and private partners to expand activations and to complete the sign restoration work before 2026.