Light in the Dark: Queer Narratives in Neon
Light in the Dark: Queer Narratives in Neon is scattered throughout MONA’s main gallery and entrance hall will be on view October 1st through March 3rd 2025. It was launched in conjunction with Circa: the first LGBTQ+ histories festival in the United States, presented by One Institute in the month of October.
The exhibition features notable items in MONA’s collection including architectural lighting from Man’s Country, Chicago’s longest running gay bathhouse; LA-based bathhouse Midtown Spa; Body Builders Gym which served LGBTQ clientele through its 45 years of existence, Neon lips inspired by the Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as the signage for Circus of Books, an L.A. bookstore and important gay cruising spot and Artworks made by LGBTQ artists and craftspeople past and present. The exhibition will also take place on the multimedia mobile and web-based guide Bloomberg Connects.
Neon is a medium that has been pushed forward by lesbian, gay, and transgender artists. “The Museum of Neon Art (MONA) would not exist without the leadership of trailblazing artists, craftspeople, and preservationists from the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ pioneers in neon demonstrate that queer histories are deeply woven into American history. The future of the medium continues to be advanced by LGBTQ artists and preservationists.”
