BRIGHT Finding the Museum of Neon Art in downtown L.A.
It's bright. It's dark. It buzzes and glows. It's one of its kind. It's in our city. And it's all about neon.
Nestled in the hip, cultural epicenter of the Arts District in downtown L.A., the Museum of Neon Art (136 W. 4th Street, Los Angeles; 213-489-9918), of MONA for short, has hosted a number of exciting exhibits in the electrical medium of neon art introducing artists who work with bringing light to new life forms. The museum expands its mission twofolds with another objective in mind: to save old, vintage neon signs around town that are otherwise headed for the dumpster. MONA has been restoring what they find since its founding year of 1981, when locally-based neon artist Lili Lakich and scholar Richard Jenkins opened doors at a Warehouse District studio space, where Lakich operates today.
Two years later in 1983, MONA sent its first traveling exhibition to the bright city of Tokyo with a show called "Seibu." More, outgrowing its original location on Traction Ave., it headed to Universal Citywalk in 1991, which seems like an open-air neon gallery today for anybody who visits because of its lovely excess of neon signs.
Most recently MONA celebrated a fundraising banquet at the tune of the internationally famous Circque du Soleil, Cirque du Neon. For the summer, the museum will hit the streets for its 12th season of its award-winning MONA Neon Cruises. In the near future, fans can expect the museum to find a new address. Word is, its lease has expired and it's looking for a new home.
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