And the winner is… Barbie?

ALBUQUERQUE — She’s eternally young, wears a thousand hats and is kind of … plastic.

But put 49-year-old Barbie on the campaign trail, and you just might have a winner.

At least that’s the thought at Albuquerque’s Off Center Art Gallery.

Under the direction of volunteer and abstract acrylic artist Barbara King, the gallery has unveiled its “Election Year Barbie” exhibit, an array of collages, paintings and one deliciously melted knock-off Barbie that puts America’s favorite icon into her political place.

And why not? In a year when women candidates have been sexualized, demeaned — and elevated — in ways both heartening and disappointing, Barbie surely must evolve as well.

With an open call for submissions, the nonprofit, community art space reaped more than two dozen creations that range from Terrorist Barbie to Cindy McCain Barbie — with a few maimed G.I. Joes thrown in for sobering context.

“I have no idea why Barbie works” as an art medium, King said. “All I know is it does work. People tell me they haven’t done art for 14 years, and here they are. Maybe because it’s funny and non-intimidating.

“If you said, `Let’s do a serious political exhibit,’ people wouldn’t come forward.”

The exhibit, at 808 Park Ave. S.W., is open until Oct. 15 from noon to 8 p.m Tuesday through Thursday and 1 to 5 p.m. Friday.

Among its gems:

• Ainsley Skye Waters’ “Terrorist Barbie,” in which our gal announces that “I terrorize girls and women all over the world just by how I look.” She declares she’s “especially good at terrorizing girls of color.”
• Kathleen Schweizer’s “Health Care Reform Barbie,” who lies in pink-glitzy glamor in a coffin.
• Bob Stembridge’s depiction of Barbie in her pink VW Beetle, driven by a skeletal “Klaus Barbie.” (An explanation scribbled on a napkin says Adolf Hitler invented the Bug by sketching it on a napkin.)
• Sue Essen’s “Drill Baby Drill Barbie,” who looks suspiciously like Sarah Palin holding a baby.

Other artists determined that endangered species in Barbie-land included beauty, brains and money; that Barbie’s a slave to oil; and that pretty much every Barbie looks like Cindy McCain.

“At the opening, people were talking about making this an annual thing,” King said. “It just blows me away what comes out of people.”