Route 66

Article written by Keith E. Smith

The neon glow of Route 66 has lured travelers for nearly a century, but a few nights ago in Vega, Texas, the spotlight turned inward. At Mama Jo’s Pies & Sweets, film director Christelle Bois and her New York film crew arrived for a meet-and-greet with members of the Vega City Council and the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce, mingling with locals and swapping handshakes and stories. The crew then spent the next three days in Vega conducting interviews and filming at key locations. Their mission was to capture Vega’s slice of the Mother Road and highlight the art that brings it to life, from murals and museums to the small creative touches that make Route 66 unforgettable. The footage will be part of a new documentary series celebrating art and the highway’s 100th anniversary next year.

The crew is part of Legit Productions, an independent documentary company based in New York City. Led by Executive Producer Pierre Gervois and award-winning director Christelle Bois, the team has been traveling the Mother Road to film the fifth season of their ongoing series The Story of Art in America. Each season highlights artists across the country, exploring the transformative role of art in society through thought-provoking and emotional interviews. Previous seasons have aired on Ovation TV and iKonoTV, and are available for streaming on Amazon Prime and TubiTV, with Season 4 currently making its way through the film festival circuit.

By the time they arrived in Vega, the crew had already been on the road for eleven days, with their last stop in Oklahoma City before crossing into the Texas Panhandle. Vega will be followed by a stop in New Mexico as they continue west along Route 66. At Mama Jo’s, Bois was joined by videographers Angel Reyna and Stan Miskiewicz, both of Chicago, who brought years of international filmmaking experience to the project. Conversations with them highlighted not only the skill and passion they bring to this documentary but also fascinating stories from their work around the globe.

In Vega, the cameras captured the people and places that bring the story of Route 66 to life through creativity and community. Two establishments were featured as backdrops: the Milburn-Price Culture Museum and Mama Jo’s Pies & Sweets, each a hub of local pride and artistic expression.

Each session took two to three hours to set up and film, beginning with a fifteen-minute formal interview before shifting into demonstrations of the artists at work and unscripted conversations about their personal journeys. Behind the scenes, Milburn-Price Culture Museum curator Greg Conn coordinated much of the artists and logistics, ensuring the crew connected with the right voices to represent Vega’s contribution to the Mother Road’s centennial story.

Featured artists included:

• Greg Conn, museum curator, poet, and metal artist, interviewed both for his writing that gives voice to the region’s people and for the large-scale metal creations surrounding the museum.

• Alfonso Garcia, a painter whose colorful murals—including the one at Mama Jo’s Pies & Sweets, as well as others around town—have brightened the community with vibrant imagery.

• Blaze May, owner of the Maverick Malt House and a pencil artist whose incredibly detailed drawings showcase life in Vega with striking precision.

• Jay Newton, agricultural sciences and FFA teacher at Vega High School, and recipient of the Here by the Owl Educator of the Year Award.

The crew also interviewed Joann Harwell, owner of Mama Jo’s, who shared how her shop has become more than a bakery, serving as a community gathering place. She spoke of the history of the old building, the beautiful artwork created by her mother that adorns its walls, and her own artistry expressed through her desserts. Joann continues a family tradition by using the same pie crust recipe passed down from her grandmother, a touch of heritage that gives her pies their distinctive character.

They later turned to David Medlin, former Oldham County Sheriff, whose deep knowledge of local history provided essential context. His perspective offered a historical backdrop to the artistic stories, reminding viewers that Route 66 is not only about creativity but also about the lives, events, and legacies that have shaped the Panhandle over time.

While the cameras have already moved on from Vega, the city’s story will soon join others from along Route 66 in the final cut of The Story of Art in America. The editing of a full season is an intensive process that typically spans at least six months. Although no release date has been announced, the new season is expected to debut sometime in the first half of 2026 to coincide with the highway’s centennial celebrations. When it does, Vega’s artists will be featured alongside others from across the Mother Road, giving the community a lasting place in this celebration of art and history.

The Vega episode of The Story of Art in America was made possible through the generous support of Mama Jo’s Pies & Sweets, the Milburn-Price Culture Museum, the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce, and Empire Fuel. The Oldham County Attorney, Kent Birdsong, and his office were instrumental in obtaining a sizable number of donations that helped make this possible. Together, their contributions ensured that the voices and creativity of Vega will be preserved as part of this national celebration of art and history.

Below are links to social media accounts of the producer, director, film crew, and the writer of this article.

Producer Pierre Gervois

Director Christelle Bois

The Story of Art in America on Amazon Prime

Legit Productions Instagram 

Americart 

Videographer Angel Reyna

Videographer Stan Miskiewicz

Keith E. Smith