Blood & Ink Rising Up From Underneath
Friday September 29 to Tuesday October 24
Keith Neltner wasn’t raised in a barn, but his art is conceived in one. He is the saloon owner, preservationist and creative combustion driving Neltner Small Batch, a branding studio burrowed in an outbuilding, rooted in the rolling hills of Kentucky.
The sons and grandsons of Waylon and Hank are among Keith Neltner’s branding clients. As are a mash of distillers, brewers and winos.
Keith’s creations take place somewhere between the first Thanksgiving and Die de Muertos. His skull-heavy works are soulful and disjointed collections of neon, Dijon and Kentucky blue. The canvases smell like a Baptist hymnal and serve as a backstage pass to Dante’s second circle.
Artwork in this exhibit includes a project with the Waylon Jennings family who wanted to release “lost” Waylon cassette recordings called “New Stuff” which including a tribute to Mohammad Ali - a longtime family friend. Keith created layered portraits for the cover and limited-edition vinyl, released as part of Record Store Day Black Friday in 2017. Other work will include collaborations with Arnold’s Bar, King Records, MOTR, and many more.
The opening for this exhibit will be on Friday September 29th from 4 to 7pm at MOTR Pub. The Northern Kentucky Derby, a two-piece garage rock band from Camp Springs, Kentucky will be playing live starting at 5pm. The Duo recorded an album and documentary in Keith’s Camp Springs Tavern during the pandemic simply called “BAR BAND”. From 4 to 5pm Brian Powers from Cincinnati Public Library will be playing songs from albums that Keith has created artwork for.
