Emily Schmidt

Springfield, Missouri · 2026

Two sculptures on the Mother Road

To mark 100 years of Route 66, Springfield, Missouri placed artist-designed sculptures around the city: the Springfield 66 Centennial Sculpture Series. Visitors follow a map to find each one and use a free digital pass to check in, earn points and collect prizes. Emily Schmidt designed two of them, and this page follows both from the artist's statement to the street corner where they stand.

Start with her story ↓
16Sculptures in the series
2Designed by Emily Schmidt
FreeDigital pass with prizes

Her story

The road that led here

Emily Schmidt makes art about the places people pass through and the memories they carry out of them. Before the two Route 66 sculptures there were school hallways to paint, a camera at a scout ranch in New Mexico, a short film about self-image, and a lot of Springfield storefront windows.

Her work moves between sculpture, painting, photography and film, and keeps returning to memory, movement and the emotional weight of everyday places. This is how one path through the Ozarks reached the Mother Road.

Place

School hallways, storefront windows in Springfield, sidewalk chalk in downtown Columbia, and now a city-wide sculpture trail. Emily keeps making art where people already are.

Memory

A psychology minor, a capstone film about self-image, and a sculpture that says memory is never polished. Her work keeps asking how experience leaves its marks.

Light and motion

Film and photography taught her to work with atmosphere, from symphony halls to climbing festivals to wedding days. Neon, chrome and a glowing route line are the same instinct, aimed at the highway.

Route 66 isn't just a highway; it is a meeting point, a passageway, and a shared experience.Emily Schmidt, on Buzz of the Mother Road
This piece isn't polished or pristine, because neither is memory.Emily Schmidt, on Weathered But Not Forgotten
Artist video, 30 to 60 seconds
Emily telling the story in her own voice.

[Add Emily's own words: what fascinates her, what drives her, and who or what inspires her.]

Sculpture one

Buzz of the Mother Road

Buzz of the Mother Road, front: the Ford Fairlane silhouette.
Key photo
Buzz of the Mother Road, front: the Ford Fairlane silhouette.

Visit it

1111 E. Brookside Dr., Springfield, MO

On the backside of the Springfield Art Museum.

Open in Google Maps

This design is a prize pin on the City of Springfield sculpture walk.

How it fits the storyA film student's eye for atmosphere meets a childhood fascination with neon signs, old cars and road trips. Buzz is the light and motion side of Emily's work.

From the artist

This piece is a celebration of glow, grit, and the golden era of American travel. Inspired by a childhood fascination with neon signs, old cars, and cross-country road trips, the design honors the vibrant spirit of Route 66 during its heyday. Using bold lines, saturated color, and the familiar hum of retro signage, this sculpture invites viewers to see the Mother Road through a lens of motion, light, and memory.

At its center is the silhouette of a Ford Fairlane, a classic among cars and a nod to the peak era of Route 66's popularity. On the reverse, a motorcycle offers a complementary perspective of the road, representing freedom, individuality, and the raw connection between rider and landscape. The glowing route line, stretching across the "66" shield, does more than mark the map: it acts as a thread weaving together cultures, communities, and stories from across the country.

I hope this sculpture sparks recognition in others, a moment of remembering their own journey, or imagining one they've yet to take.

Official sculpture page ↗

Work details

Title
Buzz of the Mother Road
Artist
Emily Schmidt
Year
2026
Series
Springfield 66: Centennial Sculpture Series
Medium
Acrylic Paint
Materials
Fiberglass
Dimensions
60x84 inches
Tools & software
Adobe Illustrator, Air Brush, & Paint Brushs

The making of

Sketches and design
Making-of photo
Sketches and design
In the studio
Making-of photo
In the studio
Install day
Making-of photo
Install day

Sculpture two

Weathered But Not Forgotten

Weathered But Not Forgotten, the aged Route 66 shield.
Key photo
Weathered But Not Forgotten, the aged Route 66 shield.

Visit it

203 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO

Next to the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven and the Queen's Gate.

Open in Google Maps

How it fits the storyMemory, a theme running through her film, murals and sculpture, becomes a worn Route 66 shield. Weathered is the quiet side of the same road.

From the artist

This sculpture honors a symbol that has stood the test of time, a Route 66 shield that may show its age, yet carries stories that never fade. Like the travelers who've journeyed this road, the sign has endured the elements, gathered character, and quietly collected memories. The rust, the chips, the wear: these aren't flaws; they are evidence of a life well lived.

Every mile traveled past this marker has left an imprint. Moments both big and small echo through its surface, embedded in its texture. This piece isn't polished or pristine, because neither is memory. It is shaped by experience, weathered by time, and held together by meaning.

Rather than asking viewers to look back with nostalgia, this sculpture invites them to move forward with appreciation. Each mark tells a story, reflecting the spirit and resilience of a community proud of where it's been, and ready for where it's going.

Official sculpture page ↗

Work details

Title
Weathered But Not Forgotten
Artist
Emily Schmidt
Year
2026
Series
Springfield 66: Centennial Sculpture Series
Medium
Acrylic Paint
Materials
Fiberglass
Dimensions
60x84 inches
Tools & software
Adobe Illustrator, Air Brush, & Paint Brushs

The making of

Sketches and design
Making-of photo
Sketches and design
Building the rust and chips
Making-of photo
Building the rust and chips
Install day
Making-of photo
Install day

As seen on TV

News coverage

KOLR10 / OzarksFirst · April 27, 2026

Visit Springfield with its new free Digital Pass and Route 66 inspired sculptures

KOLR10 / OzarksFirst · April 21, 2026

Route 66 sculpture series

Read all about it

News coverage

University of Missouri Extension

Best of Show

The Route 66 sculptures took the Best of Show Award at Show Me Neighborhood Art Month, a public art program run by University of Missouri Extension. The 2026 event drew 118 registered art sites and 1,324 public votes.

Read the announcement ↗

Meet the artist

Emily Schmidt

Emily Schmidt
Artist portrait
Emily Schmidt

Emily Schmidt is a multidisciplinary artist based in Springfield, Missouri, working across sculpture, painting, photography, and film. Her practice centers on memory, movement, and the emotional weight of everyday places, often drawing from personal history and shared cultural experience. With a background in film production and psychology, she approaches visual storytelling with an emphasis on atmosphere, symbolism, and human connection.

Emily has contributed to public art projects throughout her community, including murals, mosaic installations, and site-specific works, and continues to create accessible art through local storefront installations. Influenced by the nostalgia and visual language of Route 66, her work seeks to evoke familiarity while inviting viewers to reflect on their own journeys, both literal and emotional.

More of Emily's work