By Sunni Battin
Sun Correspondent
With multiple murals and art pieces scattered around town, Gallup is a hotbed for arts and culture. The city staff know this, as they recently discussed in a council meeting.
Now, Gallup is getting some new murals in the coming months just in time for a major milestone. The city is working with a committee of organizations over the last few months including gallupARTS, the Business Improvement District, and the Chamber of Commerce to bring additional murals to town in time for the Route 66 Centennial celebration.
“The city, in consultation with the committee, has already decided on three locations using three different local artists,” Matt Robinson, the city’s marketing and tourism manager, said. “These murals are significant because they feature themes and visuals that represent our community in truly authentic ways. The Gallup murals reflect our beautiful cultures and rich history, and these facets of our community are compelling for many visitors.”
With the news of the grant award, interest piqued among artists in the community about additional murals. Considering the interest, an extra $20,000 budget adjustment to create two more murals was requested by the tourism office.
“Gallup has not just great murals but wonderful pieces of art,” Gallup City Manager Frank Chiapetti Jr. said.
The murals will be added to the Downtown Mural Walking Tour. Completion for the project is anticipated to be done by the end of June, aligning with the beginning of the new fiscal year, which will start July 1. Chiapetti said the goal is to unveil the new murals at the Route 66 Freedom Ride Flight and Cruise Event during the last week in July.
