We love neon. It’s
colorful, technologically fascinating and, of course, magnificently retro. In
recent years, L.A. has undergone something of a neon renaissance, with local
businesses reactivating many of the area’s most iconic—and spectacular—signs,
including Culver City’s fabulous Helms Bakery neon.
One of the first things we
did, when we moved back to L.A. in the mid-90s, was join the Museum of Neon Art
(MONA), which
in those days was located downtown. It housed well-known, but discarded, signs
of yore and was a wonderful slice of yesterday.
New museum greeter
Neon clocks for sale in the gift shop
Old (new?) clock
Last night, MONA reopened
on trendy Brand Blvd. in Glendale. The
museum had been closed for several years, fundraising and renovating its new site,
so we were anxious to go. We were greeted by a 10-foot neon frog—wearing a tux
and top hat, no less!—in the gift shop window. Past the gift shop was a room filled with refreshments.
Down the hall from there was the main exhibit room, where a string band—with
neon instruments!—was setting up to play.
Wall art and neon musical instruments
One of the more fun new pieces
Another interesting new piece: neon overlaid on
depiction of indigenous people
The room was filled with
new art that was interesting and, in some cases, even fun. But only a handful
of the museum’s older holdings were on display—where was the Brown Derby hat and Manny, Moe and Jack? To say I was disappointed would be a huge
understatement. Still, if you’re into neon, you’ve got to go. The gift shop
itself is worth a quick trip.
Iconic image: Van de Kamp's
Bakery
Chevrolet OK used cars
"Cameras" and "Win with Winning Wire"
Outside the museum: Clayton Plumbers
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