Museum of Neon Art

Thanks to your support MONA has survived until 2021. There’s a lot to look forward to and still ways to get involved with our Sign Garden https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-mona-plant-a-sign-garden

Happy 2021! How will you bring your light into this new year? Will you learn a new skill? Go on more walks in your neighborhood? Start that art project you have been thinking about? We look forward to finding ways to soar this year. Thanks to @bexlunah @lilcrys01 @tylerrose15161 and @vudoo83 for sharing these wonderful images in front of our neon wings bent by @georgevidas and donated to the museum by @relevestudios rewired by @leafcutterstudio . . . .... . #wings #museumofneonart #newyear #newyearresolutions #2021 #neonlights #neon #thingstodoinla #windowdisplay #glendale #shopglendale @myglendale #myglendale #losangeles #covidactivities #neonwings #neonsign #art #selfie See more

Hats off to you for making it through this unique and challenging year! What is one thing you learned during 2020? At MONA we learned that community makes anything possible. Community is what has fueled and sustained us during a very challenging closure and it is the reason why we are still glowing today. Thank you for being a part of our community. Your support with each share, each dollar donated, each purchase to our gift store has enabled our survival. If you have not mad...e your year-end donation yet please consider supporting our gofundme for special perks, donating or becoming a member on our website, or buying a gift for the person on your list that slipped your mind this holiday season. (Linked in bio) Together we make the light. We wish you a bright 2021! Photo of Brown Derby Hollywood sign in our warehouse . . . . #vintagela #brownderby #hollywood #lessonsfrom2020 #thingstodoinla #thankyou #gratitude #signgeek #museum #storage #btsmuseumedition #oldlosangeles #preservation #neonlights #hat #museumofneonart #1950s #coololdstuff #museumstudies #gofundme #somethingbright #goodbye2020 #newyear #community #survived2020 See more

As the year concludes, we’re looking back and feeling nostalgic. Kazumi Svenson is lighting up the fires and teaching neon bending in our neon classroom prior to the COVID-19 closures. We hope that we will be able to open our doors in the near future and continue providing exciting programs and educational opportunities, but in the meantime we have been continuing our educational mission digitally. Please consider donating to MONA via our @gofundme or our website to help support us during this challenging time. We are all in this together! links are found in our bio #museumofneonart #neon #neonlights #workshop #glendale #myglendale #neonart #losangeles

MONA wishes you a happy, healthy, and safe Christmas this year. We may be physically distanced from our loved ones this holiday season to keep each other safe, but our collective work and struggle has kept us close to each other in spirit and heart. Neon by Bill Concannon (@dogma67) Photo by @dydiad #museumofneonart #neon #merrychristmas #holidays #christmas #neonlights #neonart

The beauty of neon: simple and effective! Inspired by traditional Open signs, David Otis Johnson (@leafcutterstudio) has created this great neon Vote sign. It’s our civic duty! #museumofneonart #museumfromhome #vote2020 #neon #neonsigns #signsunited #neonart #contemporaryart #neonlights #vote

According to common folklore, in 1670, the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany asked the local candy shop to provide "sugar sticks" for the children during the traditional Christmas Eve nativity scene celebrations, to help keep them quiet. To justify passing out sweets during service, he asked to make the sugar sticks replicate a cane to remind children of the shepherds who visited Jesus when he was born. The peppermint flavor and the iconic striped look that we know and love today was introduced in 1844! Candy cane neon by Bill Concannon (@dogma67) #Museumofneonart #neonsigns #neonart #christmas #merrychristmas #neonart #neonlights

We're so happy to hear that all the beautiful neon signs in Lone Pine have been restored and lit through a collaborative effort between the Lone Pine Community and Metabolic Studio! https://sierrawave.net/neon-restoration-project-lights-up-/

SincereGiftswas a local Chinatown shopspecializingin lanterns, dragon heads, lion heads, special effects, and more. Established in 1937 by Fong Kin Chin,SincereGifts, also called SincereImports, was one of the earliest businesses to open in New Chinatown’s Central Plaza at 483 Gin Ling Way. Prior to the establishment of Los Angeles’s current Chinatown, the Chinese community of Los Angeles had established a vibrant residential and commercial district located at the si...te of present-day Union Station. During its heyday from the 1890s to the 1910s, Old Chinatown spanned about 15 streets and alleys and nearly 200 buildings. Due to exclusionary acts, overall Los Angeles corruption and greed, and a gradual population decrease, Old Chinatown began declining in the 1910s, when residents were constantly faced with the threat of relocation or displacement. Developers saw the land as primereal estatefor industrial and transportation purposes which would propel Los Angeles to become a strong metropolitan city. In 1931, a California Supreme Court decision was upheld to construct a new Union Station at the site of Old Chinatown, pushing the Chinese community to relocate a mile away in Little Italy two years after the decision. After years of planning and development,the New Chinatown’s Central Plaza was dedicated in 1938. SincereGifts’ significance as a nearlycentury-oldbusiness in Chinatown’s historic Central Plaza cannot be overlooked. Itisa standing testament to the hard work, persistence, and spirit of the Los Angeles Chinese community. Although it is saddening that the business has shut its doors, MONA is proud to have a historical Chinatown sign in our collection to carry on the legacy of Fong Kin Chin and to honorthe history ofLA’s Chinese community. #museumofneonart #museumfromhome #neonart #signsunited #chinatown #neonlights #neonsigns #vintage #dtla #downtownla #losangeles #sinceregifts #historic See more

We heard you loud and clear! Our first round of walking tours by our tour guides sold out in record times!! We have added new tour dates by all of our tour guides to store.neonmona.org/collections/neon-cruises! Get your tickets today! #museumofneonart #neonsigns #chinatown #easthollywood #koreatown #losangeles #signsunited #neonsigns #neonlights #neonart

Missed out on your opportunity to join our in person tour? Don’t worry! Join us via Zoom on October 30th for a continuation of our Halloween festivities! Visit store.neonmona.org to purchase your online tour tickets today! #museumofneonart #neonmona #neonart #neonlights #easthollywood #tour #signsunited

Neon and legendary French dip sandwiches? Yes please! Photo taken by Eric Evavold (@in_the_neon_city), tour guide of our upcoming Neon Night Walks - Chinatown Lights! There are limited spots available for Eric’s 11/21 Chinatown tour! You DON’T want to miss this! Visit store.neonmona.org to purchase your tour tickets today before they’re all sold out! #museumofneonart #museumfromhome #philippesfrenchdip #chinatown #downtownla #losangeles #signs #historic #vintagesigns #neonlights #signsunited #neonsigns #neonart

Here’s another shot from #MONAOutOnTheTown! Our Curator of Education and Engagement, Ani, saw this hidden gem on the way to Yosemite a while ago! I loved this sign because it was hidden behind beautiful trees. Most of the tubes were broken and it’s definitely in need of repair to light up, but the sign itself is so detailed and beautiful. If I was driving a long distance and needed a place to stay, this sign would have definitely caught my attention! #museumofneonart #fishcreek #museumfromhome #neon #signsunited #signgeeks #historicsign #yosemite #motel #neonsign #historic #route66 #neonlights

Up next in our series of @NeonSpeaks interviews is John Barnes discussing his book "Neon Road Trip"! You can purchase Neon Road Trip by visiting store.neonmona.org! ____ Make sure to sign up for the Neon Speaks newsletter on neonspeaks.org so you don't miss out on next year's festival and symposium!

Today we're featuring this interview by Sheila Swan and Peter Laufer about their book, "Neon Nevada"! Neon is a global movement that we're so happy to be a part of! Visit store.neonmona.org to purchase your copy of "Neon Nevada" today! ____ Make sure to sign up for the latest anouncements from @neonspeaks by visiting neonspeaks.org!

The American roadside, small business, and our communities are shaped by the decisions that we make at the polls as well as the activism we perform on the local level. We have the power to change our communities! Find your polling place today to make your mark! https://www.lavote.net//v/vote-by-mail/vbm-ballot-drop-off #museumofneonart #neon #neonsigns #signsunited #historic #vote2020 #neonart #museumfromhome #losangeles

Up next in our series of Neon Speaks interviews is Susan Bregman discussing her book, "New England Neon." Visit store.neonmona.org to purchase. _____ We are so happy to bring you this series of wonderful interviews in collaboration with @neonspeaks Festival & Symposium. Follow along and be sure to sign up for their mailing list on neonspeaks.org to stay updated with the latest news and announcements!

Miss our Neon Cruises? So do we! As the weather cools, MONA’s knowledgeable tour guides will weave light-filled tours through Los Angeles County neighborhoods. Limited to 15 guests, our newNeon Night Walks is a way to see Los Angeles in a different light. Masked, socially-distanced participants will learn about the history of neon and local neighborhoods on a safe outdoor tour. Tours are 1-2 miles of walking, please visit store.neonmona.org for dates, tickets, and more information! #museumofneonart #neon #losangeles #signsunited #neonart #neonsigns #historic #tours #neonlights

Dydia DeLyser and Paul Greenstein's book "Neon: A Light History" hits the bookstores in December, but is available for preorder in our gift store now! Check out this great interview conducted by Executive Director Corrie Siegel. ____ Visit store.neonmona.org for a great selection of neon books featuring authors that presented for Neon Speaks last week!

@thejasonhorton, author of Abandoned & Historic Los Angeles: Neon and Beyond will be taking over MONA’s Instagram stories this Sunday for an exclusive Stroll Through History of Atwater Village! Don’t forget to tune in! #museumofneonart #museumfromhome #neonmona #neonart #atwatervillage #virtualtour #losangeles #signsunited