Image: Fort Smith Regional Art Museum
The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum will present ‘The Lost Highway,’ an exhibition of miniature-scale models by artist David Malcolm Rose celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66. The exhibition opens September 18, 2026, and will remain on view at the Fort Smith, Arkansas, museum through January 17, 2027.
Rose’s highly detailed models depict old businesses and roadside places located along what the museum describes as the United States’ lost highways. The exhibition extends beyond Route 66, including sites from New York to Wyoming while placing particular emphasis on the roadside environments associated with the historic route.
The works focus on the people who made their living alongside these roads. Through small-scale architectural scenes, Rose presents businesses and places that have been forgotten or displaced, creating a portrait of roadside life and what the museum characterizes as the end of an era. The models’ miniature format brings attention to storefronts, roadside structures and other details that can disappear from the landscape over time.
The exhibition also represents a significant development in the museum’s collection. Artworks from ‘The Lost Highway’ were donated by Rose to the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum’s permanent collection in 2021. The presentation therefore brings works already held by the institution into a focused exhibition tied to the Route 66 centennial.
‘The Lost Highway’ will open alongside ‘Wanderlust & Thresholds: Stillness in Motion,’ an exhibition of works by Aaron Bleidt. The museum has scheduled a free opening reception for both exhibitions on Friday, September 18, from 5 to 7 p.m., with light refreshments. After the reception, the two exhibitions will remain on view through January 17, 2027.
The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum is located at 1601 Rogers Avenue in Fort Smith. The museum’s September programme also includes public classes and workshops, but those activities are separate from the exhibition. ‘The Lost Highway’ will continue its presentation at the museum through January 17, 2027.
