Sodaro South Wing

Route 66 – Happy 100th Birthday to America’s Mother Road: Paintings by Joan Gladstone

December 13, 2025 – May 30, 2026

Celebrate the centennial of America’s most iconic highway as artist Joan Gladstone captures the spirit and nostalgia of historic Route 66 – the “Mother Road” that stretches 2,400 miles, from Chicago to Santa Monica, across eight states. This exhibition showcases 18 vivid contemporary oil paintings of the legendary road and its bold, colorful signage, inspired by Gladstone’s travels, archival images and imaginative reinterpretations.

Opened in 1926, later a lifeline for Dust Bowl migrants and a symbol of freedom for postwar travelers, Route 66 remains an enduring emblem of the American Dream. As states and communities along Route 66 restore beloved landmarks for the 2026 centennial, Gladstone’s artworks honor the road’s past and future.