WOMEN IN NEON: PART III

Var West Gallery, Milwaukee WI
January – February 2019

She Bends: Women in Neon, is an exhibition of female identifying neon benders from around the globe. With an emphasis on craft, artistry and the hand-made, these artist work start to finish with neon to bring their concepts to life. Hailed as “revolutionary” by Juxtapose, She Bends has since shown in numerous cities around the US. Along with being a traveling exhibition, She Bends provides workshops, financial assistance and mentorship to promising artists looking to take up the craft.

The artist exhibiting address a variety of topics from social constructs, language to current events. The pulsating electricity, the brilliant hues and the nostalgic evocations will transform the walls of VarWest as glass tubes are hand bent to write phrases, create abstract shapes and weave through sculptural installation. Each bender transcends the tradition of the commercial neon sign while masterfully maintaining the delicate craft and science of neon, an art that dates back to the 1850’s. The women exhibiting are causing a resurgence in the medium. They are reclaiming and improving the craft all while creating space for themselves and others to make as artists.

Exhibiting artists: Sarah Blood, Brooke Barttelbort, Dani Bonnet, Robin Clason, Eve De Haan, Teresa Escobar, Ali Feeney, Emma-Kate Hart, Eve Hoyt, Marjorie Inman, Danielle James, Kacie Lees, Stephanie Sara Lifshutz, Hannah Mace, Leticia Maldonado, Lily Reeves, Montgomery, Andrea Oleniczak, Amy Palms, Meryl Pataky, Linda Sue Price, Olivia Steele, Megan Stelljes, Harriet Schwarzrock.