She Bends: Neon as Soulcraft, an exhibition showcasing collaborative artworks crafted during three student-teacher neon residencies, is now on view at the Museum of Craft and Design (MCD) in San Francisco, California. Guest curated by Kelsey Issel and Meryl Pataky of She Bends, an organization dedicated to building a more equitable future for neon, Neon as Soulcraft highlights both the physical engagement and deep interdisciplinary understanding required by this often overlooked craft practice. The show investigates the significance of manual trade skills and their impact on our connection to the material world. How does exposure to such skills nurture innovative approaches to sustainability, social responsibility, and creative problem-solving?
The Museum of Craft and Design and She Bends invited established neon artists to apply to mentor student artists for a two-month residency. Dani Kaes (Seattle, Washington), Leticia Maldonado (Los Angeles, California), and Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 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.
These residencies offered a platform for teaching artists to hone their skills and for student artists to explore neon, addressing the scarcity of resources available for synergistic learning environments in this trade. The exhibition features never-before-seen works made during the two-month residencies, alongside tools of the trade that provide a window into the working processes of the craft of neon. To honor the learning journey of neon bending, the participating artists were tasked with gathering their remnants and discarded glass pieces, known as “scrap glass.” These artifacts of the process became a large site-specific “quilt” within the show, revealing the hidden labor and dedication inherent in working with this material.
She Bends: Neon as Soulcraft is on view at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco, California, through November 24.
For more information, visit sfmcd.org.
She Bends: Neon as Soulcraft is generously supported by The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, Alyce and Steve Kaplan, Babette and Steven Pinsky, Glass Alliance of Northern California, 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.
