Route 66 Takes Reality Down the Road

Iconic Route 66 in Albuquerque spans 18 urban miles, and with the city celebrating the Mother Road’s centennial in 2025 and 2026, the Department of Arts & Culture invites artists to reimagine Route 66 via Augmented Reality (AR) projects.

Arts & Culture invites graphic and multimedia artists to submit proposals with projects implementing innovative AR experiences centered on Route 66 in Albuquerque. The goal for the call is to identify AR projects that will immerse, educate, engage, and entertain the public and visitors in Route 66 culture and history. The deadline for AR proposals is January 31, 2024.

Project artists will develop and execute AR experiences that incorporate cultural subjects, events, and history of Route 66 that users will be able to utilize in perpetuity. Vendors will be expected to maintain ongoing support for their proprietary technology. The scope of AR projects may include, but is not limited to:

• Creation of AR applications or experiences that offer interactive storytelling, historical information, and engaging visuals related to Route 66 in Albuquerque
• Engaging experiences that encourage visitors and residents to explore Albuquerque’s 18-mile stretch of Route 66 in Albuquerque 
• Development of user-friendly interfaces for seamless AR interactions using mobile devices
• Integration of AR elements with specific landmarks, public art, historical events and people, community stories, and/or points of interest along Route 66
• Collaboration with local stakeholders, historians, and cultural experts to ensure accuracy and authenticity of content
• Implementation of a scalable and sustainable AR solution that can accommodate a large number of users during the Centennial Celebration and beyond
• Provision of technical support and maintenance post-implementation to ensure continued functionality and optimal user experience

The deadline for AR proposals is January 31, 2024. More information on the call, including the requirements and evaluation criteria, can be found at https://tinyurl.com/59m4p32r. Questions should be directed to Route 66 Centennial Project Manager, Amanda Sutton, at [email protected].

The AR call is part of Art & Culture’s larger plan to creatively involve the public and visitors to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Route 66 via special events, street fests, history exhibits and public storytelling, historic sign rehab, an oral history video series, special art projects, and much more. AR has provided enhanced experiences for more than ten years, with popular tools that can, for instance, conceptualize interior design or display a street view of a digital map. For experiences like the Route 66 centennial celebration, designers will utilize Marker-Based (QR codes), Location-Based (GPS), and Overlay (filtered environments)—AR simulations available on most devices.