FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A gathering of authors, artists, collectors, associations, and preservation and tourism enthusiasts affiliated with Route 66 will take place at The Old Glass Place, 501 E. St. Louis (east end of the car show), 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 13 and Sunday, Aug. 14. Come visit with them about Route 66 and see what they have to offer. Here’s the full lineup: Authors
• Jim Ross, Arcadia, Oklahoma
Ross, along with Jerry McClanahan and Shellee Graham, is the author of “Route 66 Sightings.” Spanning 30 years, this book is the culmination of their individual and collective efforts as writers, photographers and Route 66 historians. • Shellee Graham, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Graham, who collaborated with Jim Ross and Jerry McClanahan for “Route 66 Sightings,” is also a designer and photographer, and the author of “Tales from the Coral Court,” which earned her Route 66 Magazine’s 2002 Book of the Year Award. • Thomas A. Peters, Springfield
Tom Peters serves as the dean of library services at Missouri State University in Springfield and is premiering his book on John T. Woodruff at the festival. • Susan Croce Kelly, Gravois Mills
Kelly is the prize-winning author of “Route 66: The Highway and Its People” and the author of “Father of Route 66: The Story of Cy Avery.” She has written dozens of historical articles in the general press about Route 66, and is a popular speaker on the subject. • Anne M. Slanina, Ph.D., Harrisville, Pennsylvania
Author Anne M. Slanina, Ph.D., specializes in early childhood literacy development and social studies education. Her “Adventures of Annie Mouse,” series includes, among others, a picture book and a chapter book. Learn more at anniemousebooks.com. • Joe Sonderman, St. Louis
Sonderman, who collaborated with Jim Ross on “Route 66 in Oklahoma,” is also the author of “Postcards from Route 66,” “Route 66 in Texas,” “Route 66 in St. Louis,” and more. Artists
• Bob “Croc” Lile & Cheryl O’Quinn, Amarillo, Texas
Bob “Crocodile” Lile and Cheryl O’Quinn have been traveling and promoting Historic Route 66 for 20 years. “Croc” owns and operates Lile Art Gallery on Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, where he creates one-of-a kind mosaic images and jewelry made with paint chips from the cars at the world-famous Cadillac Ranch. • K.C. Keefer and Nancy Barlow, Denver, Colorado
Filmmakers Keefer and Barlow spend countless hours interviewing and filming the people of Route 66 for their project “Genuine Life: American Stories from Route 66.” • Judy Walker, Springfield, RJ’s Route 66, a local business with an online store, carries items proudly made in the U.S.A. The store’s unique shirts and metal signs, are made from photos taken on Route 66 by Springfield resident and business owner, Judy Walker. Walker has been a Route 66 roadie for several years and loves to bring Route 66 to people through her photography. See rjsroute66.com for additional information. • Joe Squires, Ballwin
Joe Squires, born and raised in St. Louis, has an extensive background in art. Reflecting on memories Joe has of Route 66 and its many icons along the way, he has the pleasure of recreating scenes of life on the Mother Road so you can relive an era gone by. “Every painting tells a story of its own,” he says. • Giesla Hoelscher
Giesla Hoelscher is a digital collage artist and graphic designer. Her online shop ExploreandPreserve.com raises funds for preservation efforts along Route 66, including the Meramec River Bridge. Collectors
• Mike & Sharon Ward, Mesa, Arizona
The Wards married in 1969 and spent the next 20 years traveling with the Air Force, sometimes down Route 66. Retirement didn’t change their interest in travel. They reconnected with Route 66 in the early 1990s and for the past 20+ years have traveled and supported Route 66 in many ways. Mike collects old road maps and Route 66 postcards. • Steve Rider, Albany, New York
Steve Rider’s interests in old roads and nostalgia are rooted in memories of a cross-country trip his family took when he was 9 years old that included parts of Route 66 through the Southwest. He rode Chicago-to-Santa Monica road trips in 1996 and 1997. Every year since then he has driven sections of the road. Steve started collecting vintage Route 66 memorabilia in the mid-1990s and has accumulated a large collection of postcards, matchbook covers, pennants, ash trays, road signs, maps and many other items. He has loaned artifacts for major museum exhibits including the 2014 Route 66 exhibit at The Autry in Los Angeles. • Mark Potter, Lawton, Oklahoma
Mark Potter is a news reporter with the Lawton Constitution in Lawton, Oklahoma and a Route 66 historian. Associations
• Route 66 Association of Missouri of Missouri
The Route 66 Association of Missouri is a nonprofit organization established to preserve, promote, and develop Historic Route 66 (The Main Street of America) in the “Show-Me” State. Today, the association’s members number 1,100 and reside in over 40 states and internationally. • Kansas Historic Route 66 Association. Promoting, preserving and protecting the 13.2 miles of Route 66 in Kansas. • Oklahoma Route 66 Association
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is a not-for-profit organization made up of volunteers who are dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Route 66. Old Route 66 Association of Texas The Old Route 66 Association of Texas is comprised of “Roadies” dedicated to making your travel on Route 66 through the great state of Texas the best experience possible. Preservation and Tourism
• Historic Preservation Specialist Ruth Keenoy, Route 66 Preservation, St. Louis.
• Duane G. Meyer Library, Missouri State University, Route 66 oral histories exhibit Springfield.
• Missouri Preservation Preservation and author, Bill Hart, St. Louis.
• Pulaski County Tourism Bureau Tourism and promotion of Route 66, Neon Park, St. Robert.
• Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Bill Kelly & Geoff Ladd, Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway and Route 66 preservation, Springfield, Illinois.
• Missouri History Museum, “Route 66 - Main Street Through St. Louis,” exhibit, St. Louis.
• Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven Vintage motel, Springfield.
• Missouri Division of Tourism, Conway I-44 Route 66 Welcome Centers - East and West, Route 66 Tourism and Information, Conway.
• Joplin Convention & Visitors Bureau, Route 66 tourism, Joplin. ### For more information and to arrange interviews with these folks, please contact Glenda Pike at 417-865-1318.