Last Saturday, September 16th, a revolutionary all-female exhibition opened at the Museum of Neon Art. The exhibition, titled "She Bends", features female benders from across the world making their own work with their own hands.

Conceptual content and messaging is key to these artists’ work, stretching beyond neon’s traditional applications and exploring light as an art form.

This exhibition aims not only to highlight women in neon, but also the fact that all neon is handmade. The title itself relays an action, that of bending. What starts as a skill progresses into a devoted lifestyle for the artists in this show and many neon benders across the world.

Installing a show of only neon works is a challenging feat. Each piece creates a presence, an aura, if you will. Layout is a supremely important task - we had to make sure that each piece stood out on its own without the piece beside or adjacent to it affecting it in an adverse way. Some of the works had a huge amount of cast off light while others used softer gases. Even with the lights out, the room is bright and those softer pieces needed a space on their own to make an impact.

In some cases, the cast off light from a neon red piece creates a pink hue on a wall with a blue neon. Does this work for the piece? Does it not? Many times, we worked blindly and by instinct because, after all, hanging neon is not as simple as hanging a painting. While you don't know what it will look like next to this piece or that piece, we can't very well keep putting works up and taking them down if they don't look right. Check out our installation recap in photos below. All photos credited to Brock Brake.

Lisa Shulte standing sculpture, Lily Montgomery hanging sculpture in background, Sarah Blood wall piece on the right.

Kacie Lees, Meryl Pataky and Shawna Peterson

Shawna Peterson, KAcie Lees and Meryl Pataky

Meryl Pataky, Olivia Steele working out installation of 2nd story window facade.

Linda Bracey, Koko Jamison, Lily Montgomery, Valerie Shusterov, Anika Rivers

Eve De Haan, Lisa Shulte, Leticia Maldonado, Emma-Kate Hart, Olivia Steele

Olivia Steele, Lily Montgomery, Valerie Shusterov, Anika Rivers, Sarah Blood, Emma-Kate Hart

Shawna Peterson dress form, Lisa Shulte standing sculpture, Kacie Lees hanging sculpture

Kate Hush's pieces up on the left, Romily Alice floor sculpture on the right

For most of my 7 years in the neon biz, all of my close colleagues have been male and much older than me. Even my international social media connections with others in the industry were overwhelmingly male. I knew of only one other female in the Bay Area that made neon. Through the years however, I have made connections with other females my age that are actually "in the fires" in some capacity.

Some work at neon shops, some pay rent at others' shops. I have had the great pleasure of talking to some who are building their own shops. I've discovered a thread of females from New York that all know each other. Some teach workshops and classes. When I found some that utilized neon in their work by way of a relationship or commission by a bender, I realized that they are extremely knowledgeable of the medium, able to professionally install the work themselves while aware of high voltage and all of the do's and don't of working with this crazy stuff.

It's a kindred sort of thing, to discover another female bender elbowing her way through the predominantly male medium, going through the same challenges and victories, together. Call it a sisterhood. I've always wanted to honor the females of the industry by curating an exhibition just for them.

I'm excited to announce that I have that very opportunity with the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles. Many of these women are those that I've made connections with over the years while others are new friendships forged through the research and work towards the exhibit. We will be featuring artists from the U.S as well as international artists from Argentina, Japan, London, Berlin and Australia.

The exhibition will run from the night of our opening, September 16th, 2017, until February of 2018. We hope to publish a catalog or magazine featuring all of the artists in the exhibit. The magazine will talk about their processes, experiences and feature images of them working in the studio. During the months leading up to the exhibit, I will be introducing these artists one by one through my journal and instagram posts. Please join along and learn about the artists and about neon. Here are some more peaks for now, though:

Opening Reception, SHE BENDS at The Museum of Neon Art

SHE BENDS: Installation Recap

"She Bends" - Women in Neon