Route 66
Oil on panel, 12 x 12 in.
KELLIE TALBOT
THE MOTHER ROAD: 100 Years of Route 66
August 29 – September 26, 2026
CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION: Saturday, August 29, 3-5pm
Q&A WITH THE ARTIST AT 4PM
“This exhibition is dedicated to the 100-year anniversary of Route 66 and the ways it helped to create a distinctly American culture. In 1926, Route 66 was formed, linking together existing roads into a continuous route from Chicago to Los Angeles. Roadside tourism quickly grew as motels, restaurants and gas stations proliferated the route, dubbed “The Mother Road” by author John Steinbeck in his 1939, “Grapes of Wrath.” Businesses used bold architecture and bright neon-signs to attract fast-moving motorists off the road.
I am drawn to neon signs for the trifecta of their color, rust, and typography. It is my intention to recreate these handmade signs with the same craftsmanship that the original artisans envisioned. My paintings, however, capture the time that has passed. The rust and the wear and tear of these signs are both a portrait of the American landscape and memento mori.” – Kellie Talbot