Discover the Mother Road through the stories, photographs, and community memories of New Mexico as the University of New Mexico celebrates Route 66’s hundredth birthday. This gathering at Zimmerman Library features cultural anthropologist and photo ethnographer Donatella Davanzo, an exhibition exploring the highway’s influence across the state, and cake and savory refreshments to mark the occasion.
Davanzo will present Route 66 Connected, her research project combining cultural anthropology, photography, documentation, and digital mapping. Supported in part by UNM’s Center for... Regional Studies and the National Park Service, the project explores how communities preserve local knowledge, interpret their heritage, and continue to shape the road’s meaning. It includes her 2026 publication, Mapping the Authentic Mother Road: A Cultural and Visual Atlas through New Mexico, and an interactive digital map displayed at the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections.
Guests can also explore Life and Landscape: Route 66 in New Mexico, co-curated by Davanzo and Audra Bellmore. On view in the Waters Room, the exhibition brings together collections, scholarship, and community perspectives to explore the road as a place of cultural exchange, resilience, and everyday life across generations.
Whether you’re a longtime Route 66 traveler, a photography enthusiast, or curious about New Mexico’s history, join the campus and broader community for an evening celebrating the people and places that give the highway its enduring character.
