The event celebrates the centennial of Route 66, examining the American West through paintings, prints, photographs, light-based works, and custom automobiles inspired by road culture and movement—so it's only fitting that AMoA is marking the occasion with an afternoon built for the whole family, indoors and out, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Amoa
Setting the soundtrack for the day is Amarillo's own Yvonne Perea, a beloved local singer-songwriter who blends Americana, folk, and blues into music known for its soulful, earthy vocals. Perea has spent two decades as a fixture of the local music scene, and her easy, welcoming style makes her a perfect fit for an afternoon meant for kids and grownups alike.
Outside, expect the classic ingredients of a good community day—yard games and face painting for the little ones to burn off energy between activities. Inside, the museum's galleries become the inspiration for a full slate of hands-on art projects. Kids can build their own miniature box-derby car (a nod to the exhibition's automotive spirit), design customized Pop Art bookmarks, and try their hand at experimental printmaking.
That art-making ties directly into AMoA's two headline summer exhibitions. Stations Words | Bars Cars brings together the work of Ed Ruscha and Ron Cooper, two artists who met and became close friends during a fertile creative period in 1960s California, both having studied at the Chouinard Art Institute. The road, light, and movement across the American West run through both artists' bodies of work, and the exhibition's timing marks the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road, the 2,448-mile route completed in 1926 that links Chicago to Santa Monica. Paired alongside it, Main Street: The Lost Dream of Route 66 digs further into that same nostalgia, with photography that captures the romance and decline of the great American road trip.
Family Day itself is free, but if the morning of art and music works up an appetite, lunch will be available for purchase from FAVs food truck, so you won't have to interrupt the fun to feed the crew.
Event Details:
Family Day @ Amarillo Museum of Art
Saturday, August 8, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Amarillo Museum of Art, 2200 S. Van Buren, Amarillo, TX 79109
Free admission | Lunch available for purchase from FAVs food truck
More info: (806) 371-5050 | amoa@actx.edu | amoa.org
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