LIVE / WORK RESIDENCY WITH KACIE LEES

Sentral DTLA, Los Angeles, CA
February – April 2022
Live/Work Residency

In 1923, the first neon signs in the United States illuminated downtown Los Angeles at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Hope Street, marking the beginning of neon’s deep connection to the city’s urban landscape. Nearly a century later, and just blocks from that historic site, She Bends partnered with Sentral DTLA to launch the first neon-focused live/work artist residency of its kind—inviting artist, educator, and author Kacie Lees to develop new work in dialogue with neon’s legacy and future.

Opie Project (space), led by She Bends co-founder Kelsey Issel, was commissioned to design and implement Sentral’s flagship Artist-in-Residence program. Given Downtown Los Angeles’ historic relationship to neon, Issel brought Lees into residence and oversaw the construction of a fully equipped, ground-floor pop-up neon studio within Sentral’s mixed-use high-rise. The program provided studio infrastructure, housing, and access to She Bends’ national network of partners and collaborators.

During the residency, Lees lived and worked on-site at Sentral DTLA while engaging directly with residents and the broader Los Angeles arts community. Her practice—focused on what she calls “polychromatic smears,” including holograms, oil slicks, rainbows, and atmospheric color phenomena—drew inspiration from the intensity of L.A.’s sun and urban light. Through repeated, modular neon forms displayed en masse, Lees explored variation, optical effect, and the tactile possibilities of light as material.

The residency supported extensive public and educational engagement, including open studio hours, regular interaction with passersby, and the creation of an interactive neon walking map of Downtown Los Angeles highlighting historic signs and contextual facts. Lees also led experimental neon bending and color workshops in partnership with the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Glendale and was provided access to MONA’s facilities to learn bombarding and process all neon works produced during the residency.

As part of the residency outcomes, Lees produced several significant artworks, including LA Freeways and Sloping Rialto. LA Freeways was acquired into the permanent collection of the Museum of Neon Art, while Sloping Rialtowas commissioned by Sentral DTLA and remains on permanent public view on the building’s rooftop. The residency also contributed to Lees’ broader pedagogical work through published writing, a printed “neon manifesto,” and contributions to a forthcoming handbook on holography.

By situating neon creation within a residential, public-facing environment, the Sentral DTLA residency demonstrated how living craft traditions can remain visible, accessible, and culturally relevant—bridging historical legacy, contemporary experimentation, and community engagement in real time.