The Rest is Drag - Exhibition

Taking its title from RuPaul’s assertion, “We’re all born naked and the rest is drag,” 516 Arts' new exhibition (curated by Olivia Amaya-Ortiz) expands the idea of drag beyond the stage to encompass acts of visibility, self-fashioning, and world-making in light of the Route 66 Centennial.

From lowrider culture and drag racing to drag performance itself, these practices emerge as strategies of survivance, commemoration, and self-determination. Centering LGBTQIA+ histories, Indigenous cultural reclamation, and the enduring legacy of lowriding, The Rest is Drag examines how communities have occupied, transformed, and reimagined the spaces of Route 66 on their own terms.

See work from artists D.C ALLEN (Baaa t’-chlish, Del Curfman) (Crow Tribe of Montana), Justin Favela, Christina Fernandez, fronteristxs, Apolo Gomez, Vita Kari, Jesse Littlebird (Laguna/Kewa Pueblos), Nate Lemuel, Jonathan Loretto (Walatowa/Kotyit-i), The Perez Brothers, Eric Romero, Rose B. Simpson (Kh’a’po Owingeh), and Chris E. Vargas. The Rest is Drag marks the centennial of Route 66 by examining how the iconic corridor has functioned as a site of cultural invention and visibility across New Mexico and the greater region.

Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 6 p.m., free to the public.