A look back on what you helped us accomplish this year. We are so grateful you helped us survive into 2021!
Help Plant a “Sign Garden” at MONA
December 1, 2020 – On “Giving Tuesday”, the Museum of Neon Art launched a crowdfunding campaign for an outdoor exhibition space that will showcase historic California neon signage. The “Sign Garden” is currently being installed in the Museum parking lot, and will feature illuminated neon signs as well as a behind-the-scenes peek at signs undergoing restoration.
This open-air gallery will provide a COVID-safe way for MONA to share its growing collection and create an iconic new Los Angeles destination. It will also provide a lifeline for the Museum while all indoor LA County museums must remain closed to the public. Though MONA welcomes smaller donations, supporters who give $150 or more will be recognized with their own shimmering plaque.
November 7, 2020 – It has been nearly 8 months since MONA has been closed to the public, so it is inspiring to gather with you on the streets and sidewalks of our beloved neighborhoods to weave community stories and histories under the warm glow of neon signs that guide our way. On our “Neon Night Walks”, we have discovered signs hidden in plain sight and lost histories of Los Angeles while enjoying a good stroll with our masked, socially-distant friends.
It has also been a delight to join you in your living rooms and home offices to share digital tours and stories. Our community of radiant supporters have tuned in from Germany, San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, among many other places. Thanks to you, MONA continues to grow and experiment, despite the big challenges we face during closure. We are working to expand our tours into many new neighborhoods, and we can’t wait to share them with you!
Wings A-Light and Selfies Take Flight at MONA: Sharing Light and Hope
November 5, 2020 – This week, MONA installed a neon sculpture of glowing rainbow wings facing out of the Museum’s front window onto Brand Boulevard, the main thoroughfare in Downtown Glendale. The wings, which were donated to the Museum by event producer Relevé Unlimited, are intended to forge points of connection and interaction with MONA’s growing audience at a time when the Museum is mandated by the County of Los Angeles to remain closed. As a public artwork, the wings will provide an inspiring message in dark times, reminding passersby that they are powerful, and that art can transform those in its presence. The wings will shine from 6:30pm–2am nightly.
“The Museum of Neon Art welcomes community members to tag the museum on social media and share something that gives them hope in this moment. The Museum looks forward to collecting and sharing these stories with our audience,” says Corrie Siegel, Executive Director. “Though our doors are closed to the public, we are brightening our windows and our social media feeds to connect with our community. We hope that the neon wings provide a playful addition to Brand Boulevard, as well as a new way for the public to interact with parts of the MONA collection.”
House of Spirits Sign Saved for Future Generations of Echo Park Residents
July 1, 2020 – Today the Museum of Neon Art began removing the House of Spirits signage and transporting it to our facilities for safekeeping and repair. The need to work quickly became clear after theft of some portions and escalating threats to the sign, which is attached to a building that was irreparably damaged by fire in December 2018. The sign was donated to MONA in order to preserve this iconic landmark; however, the Museum intends to return the sign to the Echo Park neighborhood as soon as a suitable new home can be found.
MONA wants to preserve this unique and historically significant sign to share it with future generations and teach about the rich history of Echo Park. We are in the process of collecting stories about the family business and the community it served, because we believe these stories are as valuable as the sign that they are connected to. During the restoration process, MONA will share updates and offer special programming for Echo Park residents while the sign is on our premises.
Circus of Books: A Beacon to the LGBTQ Community Will Glow Again
June 15, 2020 – MONA is proud to announce we are the new caretakers for the Silverlake Circus of Books Sign. Circus of Books was a gay bookstore and adult shop that operated in West Hollywood and Silverlake. For generations of gay men, the Circus of Books sign was a symbol for a store, gathering place, cruising spot, and resource to the community. The mom-and-pop business was established in 1982 by Karen and Barry Mason, and survived the AIDS crisis, censorship wars, and multiple recessions until its closure in 2016. MONA thanks the Masons for their donation and the indelible contributions they have made to Los Angeles and the LGBTQ community.
“The Museum of Neon Art has saved numerous signs from across Los Angeles, the county it calls home, yet the Circus of Books neon sign is the first piece in what we hope is a growing collection of neon signs representing LGBTQ culture and history,” says J. Eric Lynxwiler, President of MONA’s Board of Trustees. “The Circus of Books neon sign is important to many, not just because of recent memory, but because of the bookstore’s place as a safe haven for many generations of the LGBTQ community.”
MONA Brings Pseudo-Science to Light: The UV “Cure”
April 25, 2020 – When President Trump recently suggested that the internal use of disinfectant and ultraviolet (UV) light could be helpful in treating COVID-19, it left disinfectant companies scrambling to issue statements pleading with consumers not to ingest their product.
The UV comments, on the other hand, sounded very familiar at MONA, since light and electricity have been the focus of both appropriate and inappropriate, effective and ineffective therapeutic treatments for centuries.
Dydia DeLyser, Associate Professor of Geography at CSU Fullerton and Secretary of MONA’s Board of Trustees, and Paul Greenstein, neon sign designer, builder, installer, and restorer, share their fascinating neon knowledge:
April 1, 2020 – The Museum of Neon Art is thrilled to announce that, after a year-long public search, Corrie Siegel has been selected to serve as Executive Director. Siegel brings to MONA twenty years of experience working to empower and engage communities through the arts. Her experience as a gallery director, exhibit curator, museum educator, museum administrator, and artist provides her with a solid foundation for the role.
Siegel has taken over fully from Kim Koga, who retired from her post of 20-plus years in July 2019. MONA is grateful for the leadership of Interim Director Laura Darlington in this time, as well as the visionary leadership of Koga over the past two decades as we look forward to a new chapter. Siegel embodies values that MONA represents – creativity, curiosity, community, and preservation. As Executive Director, Siegel will work to deepen community connections to MONA, support new artistic production and experimentation, and safe-guard historic signage and art through new educational, artistic, and funding initiatives.
The Museum of Neon Art needs your help to survive COVID-19 closures and share our growing collection with the public in a safe and inspiring way.
We are raising funds to build a "Sign Garden", an iconic one-of-a-kind LA County landmark and outdoor exhibition space located in the former parking lot of the Museum.
Starting at just $150 your name will shine as a sponsor in our new exhibition space. Any size donation will help MONA at this critical time, but we have made special incentives to reward levels of giving.
November 5, 2020 – 
July 1, 2020 – Today the Museum of Neon Art began removing the House of Spirits signage and transporting it to our facilities for safekeeping and repair. The need to work quickly became clear after theft of some portions and escalating threats to the sign, which is attached to a building that was irreparably damaged by fire in December 2018. The sign was donated to MONA in order to preserve this iconic landmark; however, the Museum intends to return the sign to the Echo Park neighborhood as soon as a suitable new home can be found.
