Artist Laura Smetak will host an exhibit of her recent photography, including old signs on Route 66, at the McKinney Performing Arts Center in McKinney, Texas, on Jan. 31, reports Pegasus News.
The show, titled “At Work and On The Road, A Collection of Photos Taken on America’s Backroads and in McKinney’s Backyard,” presents a vivid collection of photos taken by the McKinney artist during recent cross-country motorcycle trips through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Arkansas, Yellowstone National Park, Oklahoma and the Texas Hill Country – as well as in McKinney.
Her collection includes a series of colorful vintage signs taken along Historic Route 66 and elsewhere, as well as evocative travel and nature/landscape shots from her travels.
“The majority of the signs, with exception of two local ones, were taken this summer on a 10-day, 3,600-mile trip through six states to Yellowstone,” she said. “I didn’t really plan to take the photos, just started taking random pictures of signs on that trip and really liked the images and their nostalgic appeal.”
You can see a few photos on the arts center’s Web site, including the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M. Other photos are posted on Smetak’s blog here.