REDEFINING NEON LEGACY

Museum of Glass, Tacoma WA
February - October, 2023

This exhibition explores how the evolution of teaching methodologies over the past two decades has affected neon as a process-driven fine art form. Neon is a master-apprentice trade; those holding the knowledge control to whom it is passed. This exhibition tells the story of this evolution playing out in real time, as custodians of the neon craft become more intentional with how, and to whom, they pass their torches. The pedagogy of technical skills infused with material and conceptual investigations, authored by women educators, signals a paradigm shift in the neon pipeline that redefines its legacy. In this way, neon moves from an agent of capitalism to a conduit of expression for cultural identity and diverse narratives. The artists express their voices in luminous form and breathe life into meditations on identity, existence, memory, and healing.

Redefining Neon Legacy features artists of historically under-represented communities in neon alongside the women who taught them. This exhibition includes works by Sarah Blood, Carissa Grace, Kacie Lees, Stephanie Sara Lifshutz, Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez, Lily Reeves, Meryl Pataky, Daniella Thach, and Jude Abu Zaineh.