Not My Usual Street Art/Mural Post
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge shown below, approximately 10 miles from Taos, New Mexico, crosses the Rio Grande Gorge at a height of 600 ft above the Rio Grande River..
In the distance, from the bridge, there was a dash of color on the horizon. Overcome with curiosity, I began to trek towards the the color. As I approached closer and closer, the dash of color turned into a bus. The bus (“The Dragonfly Bus”) reminded me so much of the hippie era I grew up in. The time of free love, Woodstock, and the Haight-Asbury district of San Fransisco.
The art on the bus evoked within me a sense of freedom, to not care what others may think about how one expresses themself. Art can do that, and more. Art can be transformative, for it can shape the way we view ourselves and the world around us.
When I caught up with this bus, LeRoy Herr and Heather Platen were driving this 1953 custom Chevy bus around the country to get people excited about art. In fact they encouraged people to paint on their bus, much

like those found on the Cadillacs at the Cadillac Ranch off of U.S 40 (use to be Rt 66) in Amarillo. For me the writing the word “science” spoke to me because of my science background and teachings.
Viewing the portrait of Saddam Hussein reminded me of the Gulf War and the Iraqi War. However, the painting of Van Morrison transported me to the time of my high school and college years with such songs as “Riders on the Storm,” “The End,” and of course who could forget “Light My Fire” were all the rage.
Some of the phrases found were:
- Love is Real Freedom
- Donations are Welcome
- Love Yourself
- God is Love
- Be Creative
- We Love You
- Roll Tide
- You are here for a reason
- Fueled by Dreams
- On my honor I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others to be accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the constitution, my community and agency I serve.
If inclined, more information about the Dragon Bus and its journey can be followed on FaceBook.