Giant Mexican sculptures turn downtown Albuquerque into open-air art exhibit

Eight giant Mexican sculptures have turned Central Avenue into a downtown landmark, giving Albuquerque a temporary open-air exhibit that runs from around 7th Street to the 8th Street roundabout. The illuminated pieces stand about 20 to 22 feet tall, putting fantastical creatures from Mexican tradition in the middle of one of Bernalillo County’s busiest corridors.

The City of Albuquerque calls the display “Fantastic Animals from Mexico: Alebrijes and Nahuales.” Mayor Tim Keller and the Department of Arts & Culture’s Public Art Urban Enhancement Division opened the exhibition as part of the City Brights public-art program, and the works are scheduled to remain on view from June 1 through July 17, 2026.

The sculptures draw from two different traditions with different origins. Alebrijes began in Mexico City and are usually linked to papier-mâché, while nahuales come from Oaxaca and are typically carved from wood. Albuquerque’s display uses reproductions of original carved wooden works by recognized local artists from different communities, and smaller-scale versions of the sculptures are on display at City Hall.

The placement is as important as the art itself. By setting the works along Route 66 near Central Avenue and the 8th Street roundabout, the city has turned a stretch of downtown into something people encounter while walking, driving, and spending time near Robinson Park. The exhibit also fits into Route 66 Remixed, Albuquerque’s broader effort to reimagine its 18-mile stretch of historic highway through murals, sculptures and augmented reality experiences for the 100th anniversary of Route 66.

Route 66 Remixed was created in partnership with Meow Wolf and Refract Studio, and Visit Albuquerque says the larger effort includes 18 art attractions. Hakim Bellamy serves as narrator and storyteller for the road-trip concept, tying the centennial project to the city’s larger tourism push.

The exhibition also includes community workshops where children and adults can learn the traditional crafts through hands-on activities. At the welcoming ceremony, Keller said, “Today we celebrate how art connects people across borders, cultures and generations.”

For downtown Albuquerque, the installation offers more than a photo stop. It brings color, scale and cultural context to a stretch of Route 66 that the city is trying to recast as a destination, and it does so with a limited window that ends July 17.