UNM hosts Route 66 centennial program in Zimmerman Library

The University of New Mexico will hold a public program on Nov. 11 to mark the 100th anniversary of Route 66. The celebration runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Zimmerman Library and includes presentations, an exhibition, and refreshments for attendees.

Cultural anthropologist Donatella Davanzo will present her three-year research project, “Route 66 Connected.” This study documents the highway’s history across New Mexico using photography, digital mapping, and cultural anthropology. The project is supported in part by UNM’s Center for Regional Studies and the National Park Service. It includes Davanzo’s 2026 publication, Mapping the Authentic Mother Road: A Cultural and Visual Atlas through New Mexico. An interactive digital map of the project is currently displayed at the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections.

The event also allows visitors to view “Life and Landscape: Route 66 in New Mexico,” an exhibition co-curated by Davanzo and Audra Bellmore. The display is located in the Waters Room of the library. It presents the highway as a corridor of community memory and cultural exchange, showing how the road has connected people across generations.

Damián Vergara Wilson, director of the Center for Regional Studies, stated that the project adds a sociocultural dimension to the history of the highway. He noted that the work takes an iconic piece of American history and invites audiences to view it in new ways. The research reflects the center’s commitment to understanding the distinctive culture of New Mexico.

Amy Jackson, associate dean for University Libraries, said the exhibition brings collections, scholarship, and community voices together. She stated that the goal is to create new ways for people to engage with New Mexico’s history and see their own communities reflected in it. The library is proud to share a story that is distinctly New Mexican while connecting the state to national history.

Tim Castillo, director for UNM Community Engagement Initiatives, said the project supports the office’s mission by connecting scholarship with local cultural heritage. He noted that documenting the tangible and intangible heritage of the Mother Road helps preserve local knowledge. The event demonstrates how community-engaged scholarship can strengthen public understanding of the state's diverse heritage.

Cake and savory refreshments will be served to guests during the program. The Nov. 11 event provides the campus and broader community with an opportunity to explore the history and continuing cultural presence of Route 66 through research and collections.