In 1926, a continuous series of regional roads officially became Route 66, a 2400 mile transcontinental highway linking 28 states from the southern shore of Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. In popular culture we hear its name sung by Nat King Cole, written about by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, and televised in a 116-episode series following two young men traversing the United States in their convertible Corvette.

Joan Gladstone, a Laguna Beach-based artist who studied at Boston University's School of Fine Fine Arts, has traveled the length of Route 66 — not once but twice. Her work honors "The Mother Road's" gradually vanishing visual language of American signage, its underlying narrative, and the poignant promise it implies: the future lies in the possibilities we imagine along the way.

Joan Gladstone
66 Motel, Needles, CA, Route 66, 2026
oil on canvas;
30" x 24"

Route 66 is perhaps the most legendary American highway. More than a physical road or collection of historic sites it embodies the freedom of movement, holds the possibility of discovery, and represents the erasure of time. Since 1946, the 66 Motel has provided travelers, including Gladstone, with the luxury of a night's rest in Needles, California, while crossing the Mojave Desert.

Joan Gladstone
Roy’s, Amboy, CA, Route 66
2025, oil on canvas;
30" x 24"

The iconic sign for Roy's Motel and Cafe becomes monumental in Gladstone's interpretation of the 50 foot-high landmark. It's striking geometry takes on a sculptural presence, occupying a space between memory and expectation.

Joan Gladstone
Paradise Motel, Tucumcari, NM, Route 66
2026, oil on canvas;
36" x 18"

Paradise Motel's sign, with its stylized splash of water and distinctive diver, alludes to the burst in construction of swimming pools in 1950s. It boasts vertically stacked letters adding television to its list of temptations. An array of amenities lent motels an allure of luxury their guests were unlikely to enjoy at home.

Joan Gladstone
The Tropics, Route 66
2026, oil on canvas;
15" x 30"

The Tropics Dining Room & Cocktail Lounge opened in 1950 in Lincoln, Illinois. Its theme was inspired by the owner's memories of his military service in Hawaii. After closing in 2014, the sign was restored by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program and inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame.

Joan Gladstone
Grand Canyon Hotel, Williams, AZ, Route 66
2026, oil on canvas;
20" x 16"

This nocturnal view, Joan Gladstone shifts the visual language of her Route 66 series. This sign emerges from the darkness. Its glow offering a form of sanctuary, the comfort of warmth and human presence, and redemption from the anonymity of night.

Joan Gladstone
Santa Monica, End of the Trail
2026, oil on canvas;
24" x 18"

Route 66 is defined by the anticipation of departure, adventures and encounters along the way, with the possibility of something new farther down the road. With Santa Monica, End of the Trail, Gladstone inflects a more contemplative note within the series. The joy of movement yields to the final reward of arrival. She turns that moment into something both specific and universal: the satisfaction of having reached a destination initiates the human impulse to crave what comes next.

Gladstone’s paintings are meditations on awareness, discovery, and renewal. Ever forward-looking, the artist reminds us that every milestone holds the promise of another beginning and something new beyond the horizon.

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JOAN GLADSTONE:
Route 66

On View October 1
through October 27, 2026

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Skidmore Contemporary Art
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Laguna Beach, California 92651
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