NEWS

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.

Read the full press release HERE!

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.”

Read the full press release HERE!

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:

Read about the UV “Cure” HERE!

Introducing Corrie Siegel, Executive Director 

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.

Read the full press release HERE!