A Personal Journey Down Route 66 Subject of Photographer's Presentation at the Museum of TTU

Photographer/artist Shellee Graham will present a talk about her experiences on the famous American road entitled "Return to Route 66," on Sunday, August 10, at 2 PM, in the Museum of TTU's Helen DeVitt Jones Auditorium, located on the southeast corner of Fourth Street and Indiana Avenue.

Just like the old highway, Route 66, Graham's work is enjoying ever increasing popularity among US Highway 66 enthusiasts, who attend her exhibitions, and art collectors, who have discovered her work. Since 1990, this St. Louis photographer has traveled the length of this venerable highway. Her self-appointed mission was to preserve on film the old diners, motels, people, and gas stations before they vanished. Her first Route 66 exhibition was in 1992; the current exhibition at the Museum, Return to Route 66: Photographs from the Mother Road by Shellee Graham, is a continuation of that '92 showing. The exhibition, part of an 18 city national tour, opens August 3 in Gallery 2 of the Museum, and runs through September 14. This showing, containing 69 photographs, is toured by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services.

Graham comments:

"Like many hundreds of people, I have a deep feeling of nostalgia for this road. After several years of driving and photographing Route 66, I have organized an exhibition of my photographs with accompanying text. It is a pictorial journey that details the highway's history, forgotten towns, roadside diners, motels and people.

I had made several, smaller 66 excursions before making the "big trip" to Angeles via Route 66 in March of 1991. Photos from that trip are the backbone of this show. Numerous 66 photo-trips have followed since; I sadly discovered that many of my subjects were missing or in ruins."

Graham is also the author and photographer of two books: Return to Route 66 - a postcard book (Council Oak Books, Tulsa, 1998); and Tales from the Coral Court: Photos and Stories from a Lost Route 66 Landmark (Virginia Publishing, St. Louis, 2000). For Tales she received the Route 66 Magazine "Book of the Year" Award in 2002, and received a CALOP grant to complete a video documentary about the Coral Court Motel.

Graham has worked as a courtroom artist, graphic designer, fashion illustrator, and art director. She lives with her family about one mile from Bypass Route 66 in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

Events - 2003 Exhibit Schedule - MoTTU Home