Winter 1999INSIDE |
Route 66 Boasts New Sculptures in Grants and Gallup
by Carla Sanders
Fire and Ice was dedicated on Saturday, October 3 in Grants. This fire-breathing, three-legged arch is the creation of Howard and Kathleen Meehan, a husband and wife artist team who live in Santa Fe. According to the artists, it was "Inspired by local geological formations such as La Ventana and the Ice Caves, this sculpture suggests Grants as an intersection of nature, culture and history."
Visitors came to Grants along Route 66 to explore these and other fascinating geological and cultural features, including El Malpais and El Morro (Inscription Rock). Fire and Ice also honors the history and cultures which were integral to Grants' development. The Meehans worked closely with several community members to collect stories and reminiscences of Grants. They collected memorabilia to imbed in the tile work the arch sits upon, imbuing it with a distinct local flavor.
Fire and Ice forms the centerpiece for downtown along Grants' main drag, Santa Fe Avenue and former Route 66. The steel structure is lighted at night and emits a gas flame to evoke the volcano which formed the Malpais. Block glass transmits sunlight into the arch's deep recesses, symbolizing the eternally frozen ice caves. A timeline of Grants' area history, depicted in words and objects, circles the feet of the arch.
Neon-colored ice pops were handed out as the people gathered, and New Mexico dignitaries expressed their gratitude for art projects which signify an appreciation for our rich cultural heritage. They also thanked the people who make them happen.
Paso po aqui, a Spanish term meaning "passed by here," is the famous inscription chiseled into El Morro (Inscription Rock) by travelers as far back as Don Juan de Oñate in 1598. Paso Por Aqui, created by Los Piruchos de Cibola (AKA Charles Mallery and Robert Hymer) from Ramah, New Mexico, is a monumental steel loop piercing through ruin-like rock work and highlighted by neon and glass block. While the artwork makes a dramatic abstract backdrop against New Mexico skies, the loop creates a physical transformation of Gallup's main form of transportation from rail to highway. The masonry elements depict the historical layering of building styles in the region, from Anasazi to Railroad Era.
Perched above the interstate, Paso Por Aqui overlooks downtown Gallup. A bike path from Gallup's Sculpture Park to the artwork has been dubbed Galloop. As a testimony to Gallup's enduring spirit and affinity for public art, the crowd sat through stormy weather to celebrate the dedication and was later rewarded with hot stew, fry bread, and live music at the old Armory.
Both projects are part of the innovative program placing fourteen monumental pieces of art along Route 66 and El Camino Real throughout New Mexico. Cultural Corridors is a program of New Mexico Arts, a Division of the Office of Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the New Mexico State Highway & Transportation Department and local communities.
Funding for each of $100,000 sculpture commissions comes from the Federal Highway Act with state and local matches. Other art that can be viewed is located in Tucumcari, Tome Hill, Las Cruces and Socorro. For more information on this program, contact Cultural Corridors Coordinator Carla Sanders at (505) 827-6490 or in state at 1-800-879-4278.
