ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A nonprofit is trying to keep the history of Route 66 alive. An art exhibit is showcasing revitalized abandoned road signs.
The nonprofit Friends of the Orphan Signs planted its roots in 2010 when the founder, Ellen Babcock, wanted to find a way to beautify abandoned signs along Route 66.
“We adopt the orphan signs, and we work with artists and community members to collaborate to create new artworks for the signs,” said Friends of the Orphan Signs Incoming Executive Director Lindsey Formm.
The latest sign the nonprofit is working on is located on 8th Street and Central at what used to be The Hotel Blue. Creative Director Sara Rivera said the sign will honor all the different languages people speak.
“We wanted to capture that experience and to capture some of these little phrases and moments that are passed down in peoples’ families,” said Rivera.
The nonprofit is showing its work at Fusion Gallery in Downtown. Guests will see the project they’ve done in the last 13 years.
“We have fully revitalized four signs. We definitely hope to do more in the future of our organization. We have done, over the lifetime of the organization, 30 projects,” said Formm.
The exhibit will continue until Sunday at the Fusion Gallery on the 700 block of 1st Street.
