Movement of vehicles with restricted access from driveways. A new roadside attraction is gaining attention along Route 66. Alyssa Muñoz caught up with the artists behind the work. Roadside attractions have drawn travelers away from Route 66 for nearly 100 years. It’s the car, it’s the billboard, and Gallup’s latest installation, a sculpture called “RUN,” does just that. Please come closer. Let’s take a look. Behind the piece is local artist Robert Wilson. As a former doctor, I was overjoyed, but Wilson left in 2016 to pursue art full-time, working in a medium known as recycled art, transforming salvaged materials into detailed works that he shapes, sculpts, welds and tries to do with whatever he can. something. My term will now be elegant. The idea came from an encounter with a jackrabbit in West Mesa. I thought this was a great symbol of Route 66. Built from a 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air, the car’s natural shape helped make this piece stand out. The 53 Chevrolet Bel Air has curves, the kind of muscularity I think would be perfect for an animal like a jackrabbit. A project that pushes Wilson into new territory. I have never used a plasma torch before. I bought a plasma torch and learned how to use it, but I’ve never damaged a car. This is leftover material from the run. The final sculpture is 10 feet tall, 12 feet wide, and weighs more than 1,200 pounds. Basically it’s the size of the car. After more than a year of work. Trying to find it, trying it on, flipping it over, and finally seeing it there was both fun and exhausting. You’ll also find some hidden surprises. The left eye is a speedometer, which I disassembled and tack-welded the needle at 106km/h. Did you understand? It’s more than just a sculpture. Look for the legs and ears and think about what part of the car was used to make the legs. That leg. A work that turns scrap into a symbol of movement and the spirit of the open road. Alyssa Muñoz coat.
Gallup artist creates giant jackrabbit sculpture from salvaged car
A former Gallup doctor created a 10-foot-tall jackrabbit sculpture out of a 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air.
Updated: April 19, 2026, 9:19 a.m. MDT
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A new sculpture titled “Run” is drawing attention along Route 66 in Gallup, New Mexico, continuing a tradition of roadside attractions that have captivated travelers for nearly a century. Local artist Robert Wilson, who retired from his medical job in 2016 to focus on art full-time, created the piece using salvaged materials in a style known as “recycled art.” “I was very excited,” Wilson said of the opportunity to work on the project. Wilson described his artistic process as, “I try to take it and shape it, carve it, weld it, do whatever I can to make something. My words are going to be elegant from that.” The idea for “Run” came from an encounter with a jackrabbit in West Mesa. “I thought this was a great symbol of Route 66,” Wilson said. The sculpture was created using parts from a 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air, and the car’s design influenced the final piece. “The ’53 Chevrolet Bel Air has curves and a kind of muscularity that I think is perfect for something like a jackrabbit,” Wilson said. Wilson said the project pushed him into unfamiliar territory. “I had never used a plasma torch before, but I got one and learned how to use it. And I’ve never taken a car apart before,” he said. He also revealed that car wreckage was repurposed for the sculpture. “This is the rest of the material we used for ‘Run,'” Wilson said. The completed sculpture is 10 feet tall, 12 feet wide, and weighs more than 1,200 pounds. “It’s basically the size of a car,” Wilson said. Reflecting on the year-long process, Wilson said, “It was both fun and tough at the same time. Trying to find it, trying it on, flipping it on, and finally saying, ‘This is it.'” The sculpture includes hidden details such as a speedometer built into the left eye. “We took it apart and tack-welded the needle on at 106 miles per hour. You get the idea,” Wilson said. Mr Wilson encouraged visitors to examine the carvings closely. “Look for parts of the legs and ears and think about what part of the car was used to make that leg or leg,” he said. “Run” transforms salvaged materials into symbols of movement and the spirit of the open road. The dedication ceremony for the sculpture was held at noon on April 17th at the Gallup Press.
A new sculpture titled “Run” is drawing attention along Route 66 in Gallup, New Mexico, continuing a tradition of roadside attractions that have captivated travelers for nearly a century.
Local artist Robert Wilson, who retired from his medical job in 2016 to focus on art full-time, created the piece using salvaged materials in a style known as “recycled art.”
“I was very excited,” Wilson said of the opportunity to work on the project. Wilson described his artistic process as, “I try to take it and shape it, carve it, weld it, do whatever I can to make something. My words will be elegant from that.”
The idea for “Run” came from an encounter with a jackrabbit in West Mesa. “I thought this was a great symbol of Route 66,” Wilson said. The sculpture was constructed using parts from a 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air, and the car’s design influenced the final piece.
“The ’53 Chevrolet Bel Air has curves and a kind of muscularity that I think is perfect for an animal like a jackrabbit,” Wilson said. Wilson said the project pushed him into uncharted territory.
“I’ve never used a plasma torch before, but I got one and learned how to use it. And I haven’t wrecked any cars,” he said. He also revealed that car wreckage was repurposed for the sculpture. “This is the rest of the material we used for ‘Run,'” Wilson said.
The completed sculpture is 10 feet tall, 12 feet wide, and weighs more than 1,200 pounds. “It’s basically the size of a car,” Wilson said. Reflecting on the year-long process, Wilson said, “It was both fun and tough at the same time. Trying to find it, trying it on, flipping it on, and finally saying, ‘This is it.'”
The sculpture includes hidden details such as a speedometer built into the left eye. “We took it apart and tack-welded the needle on at 106 miles per hour. You get the idea,” Wilson said.
Mr Wilson encouraged visitors to examine the carvings closely. “Look for parts of the legs and ears and think about what part of the car was used to make that leg or leg,” he said.
“Run” transforms salvaged materials into symbols of movement and the spirit of the open road. The dedication ceremony for the sculpture was held at noon on April 17th at the Gallup Press.
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