Looking for bison on Central? Here's where to find some

Bison have invaded Downtown Albuquerque.

But these bison appear on a 19-foot tall by almost 120-foot wide mural on the west side of the El Rey Theater.

Artists Thomas Christopher Haag and Jesse Littlebird recently finished the project that pays homage to the bison.

The main idea is to show “what Route 66 looked like before Route 66,” Littlebird said.

On the mural are three bison looking toward Central Avenue. One is painted in blues and black, another is multicolored, while a third is in a white checkered pattern, an allusion to a symbol of hope and rebirth in Native American traditions.

“It’s tremendously important and an honor for me,” said Littlebird, who is from Laguna and Kewa pueblos and lives in Albuquerque. “A lot of Indigenous artists definitely pull from that inspiration and subject.”

The mural is part of the city’s upcoming Route 66 Centennial celebration that includes an art-fueled road trip-themed project that “invites locals and visitors alike to explore (Route 66’s) legacy through murals, sculptures and augmented reality experiences,” Tanya Lenti, Albuquerque Department of Arts and Culture spokesperson, said.

“Travelers will discover large-scale public art installations and site-specific digital activations that reflect the stories, traditions and people that have helped to shape Albuquerque,” she said.

The city partnered with Meow Wolf and Refract Studio on the project.

Lenti said she hopes to release a list of the artists and locations soon.

Haag said he is happy to have worked with the city and Littlebird to “beautify the city I love.”

“It’s going to change the visual arena for the eastbound 66 traffic,” Haag said. “Hopefully, we’re responsible for turning somebody’s head and making them enjoy our town a little bit more.”

For Haag, a Wichita, Kansas, native, the bison represent “what the West was,” he said.

“Instead of just doing, you know, antique cars and that kind of thing,” Haag said, “we wanted to show that this (road) was a trail for things way before humans and cars.

“It was a trail for animals and the (bison) was big around here,” he said.

The murals also represent something deeper to Haag.

“When a storm is coming, a (bison) doesn’t run,” he said. “They don’t seek shelter. They turn their heads and face the storm, and then they plod in through the storm because, somehow, they know they will get through it.

“And I think that’s really a good kind of lesson for us to learn right now.”

Mural on the side of El Rey Theater part of ABQ's Route 66 Centennial celebration