On October 15, UNM Rainforest Innovations hosted its fourth installment of Creative People, Creative Place – Creative Technologies on the Mother Road seminar series. In honor of the Route 66 Centennial, the seminar series aims to build connections and bridges across New Mexico’s creative ecosystem, engaging technologists and artists whose collaborative work drives entrepreneurial and economic development for the state.
The October panel featured Cameron Ward, Founder & Creative Director, Art Off the Rails; Donatella Davanzo, PhD, Project Director, Route 66 Connected; and Sandy Johnson, Architect, Designer, and Mixed-Media Artist. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Larry Sklar, a distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Pathology at the UNM School of Medicine and Co-Lead of the Cancer Therapeutics Research Program.
Here are some key highlights from the panelists and topics they discussed:
Cameron Ward | Founder & Creative Director, Art Off the Rails
Cameron Ward is the Founder and Creative Director of Art Off the Rails, a cultural production and strategy company. Her work focuses on creating opportunities for Indigenous and emerging voices through media, cultural production, and creative entrepreneurship. She is a proud member of the Pueblo of Isleta and a graduate student at the University of Southern California.
Through Art Off the Rails, she develops exhibitions, editorial projects, and marketing campaigns, partnering with artists, institutions, and creative businesses to expand their reach. In the panel, Cameron talked about the importance of experimentation, whether she’s in front of a camera or creating a storefront to attached new audiences.
She also serves as Editor of Salad Bowl America Magazine, a student-led publication focused on community storytelling and emerging writers, and hosts and produces content for the Leaders of Enchantment podcast, highlighting entrepreneurs and changemakers shaping New Mexico.
Donatella Davanzo, PhD | Project Director, Route 66 Connected
Dr. Donatella Davanzo is an Italian American anthropologist and photo ethnographer. Her documentary work focuses on preserving the historical, social, and cultural heritage of traditional communities. She is widely recognized for her research and lectures on New Mexico’s acequias, centuries-old, community-managed irrigation systems.
Her recent project, Route 66 Connected (2022–2026), documents historic properties along Route 66 in New Mexico. This includes photo collections, cultural and visual atlas, and digital interactive map showing 265 existing buildings and 171 historic sights. For this project, she talked about how technology and creativity worked together. The map uncovered places but also created opportunities to make new connections that might not have been obvious beforehand.
Donatella holds a doctorate in American Studies from the University of New Mexico and leads the Albuquerque Italian Language and Culture Group. She also provides instruction and training in visual ethnographic methodologies.
Sandy Johnson | Architect, Designer, Mixed-Media Artist
Sandy is an Albuquerque native with more than 20 years of experience in architecture and design. For the past five and a half years, she has worked in the public sector as a healthcare facilities planner at the University of New Mexico Hospital, overseeing new facilities from initial concept and design through construction and patient occupancy.
Outside of her professional role, Sandy is a mixed-media artist whose work explores Southwestern landscapes, biophilic themes, and the human form. She shared several of her art pieces at the seminar.
Sandy also emphasized the importance of collaboration, community partnerships, and mentorship, highlighting the value of internship opportunities and organizational engagement in supporting the next generation of professionals.
See the video recording of the seminar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itunAQERuuo&t=466s