It's probably fair to say that you don't give much thought to neon signs as you drive past them, or walk under them, or stare at them blurrily when you're in Vegas, right? But you should know that not only are neon signs a great part of America's history, they're art. And one museum is aiming to save the iconic signs of our past – the Neon Museum.
A non profit dedicated to the collection and preservation of Sin City's neon signs, the Neon Museum houses more than 150 retired signs. But the Neon Museum needs your help – not just in saving landmarks, but in saving the museum itself. Pop culture expert Chris Epting is currently working with the Save-A-Landmark program to help get the word out about the Museum and its needs. Thankfully, he was able to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about the Museum and not just how he's helping it, but how you can, too.
How did the Neon Museum become the next candidate for the Save-A-Landmark project?
The Neon Museum was nominated (and won!) as the next landmark refurbishment in our nearly 10-year-old Hampton Hotel Save-A-Landmark project. Our theme this year is "All American" landmarks and since Las Vegas's neon nighttime skyline is such an iconic part of the new American west, we felt it was a terrific fit.
A lot of people wouldn't necessarily think of neon signs as being art. Why should they change their minds?
Neon signs are certainly an important, if unintentional American art form. Since being introduced as advertising tools at a Los Angeles car dealership in 1923, the glowing, colorful tubes have evolved into creative, dynamic expressions that have changed the nighttime environment, especially in Las Vegas. Here, neon signs and displays grew in more extreme ways as hotels fought to stand out, forcing designers and artists to constantly raise the bar. Their ingenuity and creativity resulted in a highly unique, highly American art form that defines the Vegas experience- at least at night.
Are there any signs that you feel particularly passionate about?
Having visited the collection of signs once before, I'd have to say the giant "Silver Slipper." It is a surreal sculpture that makes you feel tiny, and it's so easy to imagine how incredible it would looked when it was all fired up and hanging outside the old hotel.
So you're asking people to help save the museum – what's going on and how can people help?
We're working on what will eventually be the welcome center to the Neon Museum that's in development. That building is the most famous remaining piece of the old La Concha motel, which was also seen in several popular movies. It dates back to 1961 and was designed by the internationally known African-American architect, Paul R. Williams. There, we will be doing lots of cosmetic exterior work, cleaning, and we'll be working on painting an inside mural (doing color fills once the original art is done) and then moving over to the collection of neon signs nearby to start cleaning those up a bit. It should be an incredible project.
For anyone who wants to get involved with nominating landmarks, voting for landamarks or anything in between, it's easy. Just go to www.hamptonlandmarks.com and you'll see how the process works (and be able to review the dozens of other landmarks we've already refurbished!)
