Jenny Zeller

Jenny Zeller was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. Shortly upon graduating with a BA in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky, she moved to Key West where she grew both as an artist and as an individual. In addition to founding Off The Beaten Path Productions, which produced artistic events showcasing local artists in alternative spaces, she served as director of Archeo Gallery and the Haitian Art Company. In 2001, she was granted the Monroe County recipient of the prestigious South Florida Cultural Consortium Award for her documented images of Haiti, developed in the style of 19th century photographs. In 2006 was granted an artist residency at the Nantucket Island School of Art & Design by the Rodel Foundation. She has also been awarded Anne McKee Grants in 2000, 2005 and 2009. After 16 years of island living, she has returned to her hometown of Louisville in search of a life more affordable and less “career focused”, with time to fully pursue her creative interests. Rejuvenation is the word to best describe her reintroduction into an environment that is both familiar but fresh.

"The distillery tour at Makers Mark begins in the visitor’s center, a pre–Civil War distiller’s home that houses pieces from the Samuels’ collection of early-1800s furniture and other historical and craft items. I personally found kitchen of the visitor’s center to be the most visually stimulating room on the distillery grounds and knew almost immediately that I would begin my process with that mid century modern space. Early in the tour, one learns that Marge Samuels was responsible for the creative end of Makers Mark; by fashioning the logo still in use today as well as insisting the bottles should be dipped in red wax. Because I am currently combining encaustic wax with my photographic images, it was the obvious choice to enhance my piece with the red wax that is so synonymous with Makers Mark."