Route 66 Paint Jam | Maddog
Tulsa, Oklahoma | May 2026
Community paint event | Route 66
This event was special to me because it took place at Maddog, a space that has played an important role in my growth as an artist.
This is one of the places where I first started experimenting with murals and painting on larger surfaces. Having access to a space where I could create freely, try new ideas, make mistakes, and keep pushing my work forward meant a lot to me early on.
I am thankful for places like this.
Spaces where artists are given room to create without overthinking every decision can become important parts of someone's development.
In May 2026, I wanted to bring some of that same energy back to the space by organizing a paint event around the Route 66 Centennial.
It was not an official Centennial event, but with Maddog sitting directly along the route and so much happening around Tulsa that weekend, it felt like the right time to activate the property and give people another reason to stop by.
There was also a Route 66 cruise happening that weekend with more than 100 classic cars.
The main cruise did not come as far down the route as we originally hoped, but some of the cars continued along Route 66 and made their way through the area toward Claremore.
For our event, the focus was simple.
Get some walls ready, invite writers, paint, hang out, and enjoy the day.
A few days before everything started, Vic, Jesse, and I got together to prepare and buff the walls so everyone would have fresh surfaces to work with.
Once the event started, we had writers and artists come through from around Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
It was hot.
Really hot.
But people still came out, painted, hung around, talked, listened to music, and enjoyed the space.
That is what I liked most about it.
It did not feel overly formal or programmed.
It felt like one big artist kickback.
People were creating because they wanted to create. Friends stopped by. New people came through. Different writers took over different sections of the walls, and for the day the entire place felt active.
For me, there was also something full circle about organizing something like this at Maddog.
I had once used this same space to experiment and develop my own work. Now I was helping prepare those walls and create an opportunity for other artists to come in, experiment, and leave something behind too.
The event may have been unofficial, but the energy was real.
A hot day on Route 66, a lot of paint, a lot of good people, and a space filled with artists doing what they love.
Shout out to Vic and Jesse for helping get everything ready, Maddog for continuing to give artists room to create, and everybody from Tulsa, OKC, and the surrounding area who came out and painted with us.
