It’s more than a visual documentation, more than graffiti taking on the moniker of a “legitimate” art piece (not that graffiti isn’t legitimate art in itself). It’s a community project that embraces the quirky world of artistic triumph. Put together by 516 ARTS and the Wells Park Neighborhood Association, in appropriate partnership with The City of Albuquerque Public Art & Urban Enhancement Program, these organizations added two new murals to the existing Wells Park Rail Runner Mural Project.

The project started in 2012, with four murals going up (the lead artists were Larry Bob Phillips, David Leigh, Nani Chacon, Nettrice Gaskins and Laurie Marion). Now it’s adding two new murals by Frank Buffalo Hyde and Jamison “Chas” Banks. Drawing on their Native American heritages, both artists sought to show work that not only symbolizes their cultures, but also represents the interconnectedness of artistic appreciation and the shared experience of being able to view these works forever. The newly completed murals are located in the Rail Runner Corridor, north of Downtown Albuquerque, between Mountain Rd. and I-40 along First Street.

For the feature in the May 30 issue, I explored the adaptive reuse of a city-owned Route 66 motel in Upper Nob Hill. Read about why it’s a landmark, and how it’s being preserved here: The comeback of the De Anza Motor Lodge. Ty Bannerman supplemented the piece by writing about El Vado, another city-owned motel further down Route 66.