San Francisco (April 23, 2024)– The Museum of Craft and Design (MCD) announces She Bends: Neon as Soulcraft on view July 20 – November 24, 2024, a neon exhibition showcasing collaborative artworks crafted during three student-teacher neon residencies. MCD is pleased to introduce the selection of teaching artists: Dani Kaes, Leticia Maldonado, and Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez and student artists: Christen Baker, Melissa Jean Golberg, and Mayra Zambrano.
Guest curated by Kelsey Issel and Meryl Pataky of the art organization She Bends, She Bends: Neon as Soulcraft highlights both the physical engagement and deep interdisciplinary understanding –spanning physics, chemistry, and spatial skills–required by this often overlooked craft practice. The residency and exhibition investigate the significance of manual trade skills and their impact on our connection to the material world. How does exposure to such skills among young adults nurture innovative approaches to sustainability, social responsibility, and creative problem-solving?
Neon as Soulcraft will showcase artworks created during three residencies held across the United States. The Museum of Craft and Design and She Bends invited established neon artists to apply to be mentors to student artists for a two-month residency. Dani Kaes (Seattle, WA), Leticia Maldonado (Los Angeles, CA), and Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez (Philadelphia, PA) were chosen as teaching artists based on the merit of their proposals. Through a community-driven selection process, they were matched with student artists Melissa Jean Golberg, Mayra Zambrano, and Christen Baker respectively. The Student Artist Selection Committee was composed of Headlands Center for the Arts’ Executive Director, Mari Robles; Studio Ahead’s Principal Designer, Homan Rajai; She Bends curators, Kelsey Issel and Meryl Pataky; and Museum of Craft and Design’s Curatorial Director, Ariel Zaccheo.
Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez, a tether to the places I don’t remember being from, a beauty following the hollow of my collarbone, a prize for having and being, 2021 (Left). Christen Baker, Contradictions of Active Fervor, 2023 (Right). Photos courtesy of the artists.
These residencies offer a platform for teaching artists to hone their pedagogy and for student artists to pursue their exploration of neon, answering to the scarcity of resources available for synergistic learning environments in this trade. Furthermore, they offer young artists the opportunity to show their work on a national scale in a museum exhibition.
The exhibition at MCD, opening July 20, will feature never-before-seen works made during the two-month-long residencies, alongside tools of the trade that provide a window into the working processes of the craft of neon. Additionally, to honor the learning journey of neon bending, the participating artists have been tasked with gathering the remnants and discarded glass pieces, known as “scrap glass,” as they hone their skills. These neon artifacts of process will be sent to San Francisco, where they will be used to create a large site-specific “quilt” within the exhibition, revealing the hidden labor and dedication inherent in working with this material.
Guest Curator Kelsey Issel notes, “Learning how to make neon, or any embodied craft for that matter, has so many residual implications – material responsibility, problem-solving, mindfulness. We wanted to use this opportunity to guest curate at MCD to create access to the neon trade for young adults to be taught not only by skilled neon technicians but also by women artists, who have dedicated time to this craft beyond its commercial purpose. The experimentation and meditation on this material performed by artist benders is not only pushing the boundaries of the medium but has social benefits that we are very excited about.”
She Bends: Neon as Soulcraft is generously supported by The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, Alyce and Steve Kaplan, Anonymous, and Sharon Karmazin. The Museum of Craft and Design’s exhibitions and programs are generously supported by Anonymous, the Windgate Foundation, and Grants for the Arts.
Top Image: Leticia Maldonado, Image of artist’s studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.
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For more information and interview requests:
Sarah Beth Rosales, Marketing and Communications Director, Museum of Craft and Design at sbrosales@sfmcd.org or 415.773.0303.
About the Curators
She Bends is an organization dedicated to building a more equitable future for neon art through public education, curatorial projects, and artist programs that foster diversity and sustainability. The organization pushes the boundaries of the neon medium beyond the confines of commercial signage into the realm of fine art.
About the Museum of Craft and Design
The Museum of Craft and Design (MCD) is San Francisco’s only museum devoted to craft and design. Founded in 2004, MCD showcases designers, makers, and artists through an exciting and distinctive series of craft and design-focused exhibitions and public programs. MCD explores the creative process and current perspectives in craft and design through inspired exhibitions and experiential programs. Learn more at sfmcd.org.
