The new Museum of Neon Art building in Glendale is moving closer to completion. Just added: A giant neon diving lady, a signature flourish to the top of the building. The Glendale News-Press has more:
The revamped local building that once housed an arcade is now surrounded by large glass windows in the front and black tile along the sides and back. The front of the museum is designed to look like a lightbox, which is lined with translucent siding and illuminated by electric light. Lightboxes are often seen in art or photography studios.
The diver, which is a replica of a piece of neon art that once topped a Mississippi motel in the 1940s, features outstretched arms and pointed toes, as if it were soaring over Brand Boulevard. The original diver is in a private collection and was lent to the museum in 2008 when it was still in downtown Los Angeles.
A new diver was constructed to cantilever over the museum’s roof by Federal-Heath Sign Co. in Oceanside, Koga said. Although it retains the original work’s dimensions, some tweaks have been made so that it can balance steadily from its second-floor perch.
The museum plans to light up the diver during a special event from 7 to 8 p.m. on May 27. Once lit up, the statue will be in good company, as the illuminated “Americana” sign that advertises the glitzy mall is just across the street, Koga said.
Thankfully, the MONA just saved the animated neon sign that sat atop Zinke’s Shoe Repair, which recently moved to Pasadena. Meanwhile: Help support the new building by donating here.
We've been a big fan of the MONA bus tours; read our recap from a tour we took in 2010 here.
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