"Hues Over 66" Painting Celebrates Route 66

As part of a commitment to supporting local artists and in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Route 66, McKinley County recently purchased a painting from local emerging artist Jaycee Custer. The work, titled “Hues Over 66”, celebrates both the modern and traditional with its depiction of a Route 66 scene in front of Richardson’s Trading Co. In front of the store is a classic Chevy truck with a sheep in the bed of the truck. Parked in front of the Chevy is a Tesla Cybertruck.

“The juxtaposition of that against the traditional background of Richardson's shows how diverse Gallup is. I want people to see that,” Custer said. “A lot of people don't like it, but it's just a reality of today. You can't hide it.”

Custer, 30, grew up in Gallup, and is by trade a jewelry artist but has been painting since he was six or seven years old. He got away from it for a time in his life to focus on his family’s traditional craft of jewelry. He is a third-generation silversmith.

He recently got back into painting again after being asked to participate in a show by Art123 about Route 66. He originally intended to create a jewelry piece for the show but decided it wasn’t the right medium.