2018 KRANZBERG EXHIBITION SERIES
DAVID HUTSON, Memory & Desire: A Personal Exploration of Neon Art, Past and Present

Whitaker Foundation Gallery, Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center / Way Field

6-7 p.m. Conversation with David Hutson (Complimentary beer and wine provided)
7-9 p.m. Open Gallery

CONVERSATION SERIES
Thursday, September 27, 2018 / 6 p.m. (Cocktails)
Saturday, December 8, 2018 / 11 a.m. (Coffee)
Saturday, January 12, 2019 / 11 a.m. (Coffee)
 

Curated by Dana Turkovic and supported by PNC Arts Alive

In Rudi Stern’s book “Let there be Neon” he outlines the magic of neon, weaving high art with a handcraft relegated mostly to the electric-sign trade. Stern recognizes the potential for the medium, beyond the logos: “neon is sculptural, architectural and when done right, is highly aesthetic.” Recognizing its popular appeal, Laumeier Sculpture Park’s 2018 exhibition with neon artist and sign historian David Hutson will also showcase one large scale outdoor neon installation along with his extensive collection of vintage neon signs alongside and in conversation with a checklist of about 15 neon sculptures from Hutson’s current body of work. 

Installed in the Aronson Fine Arts Center, Hutson’s work will be part of the 15th iteration of the Kranzberg Exhibition Series, a longstanding annual program that supports the development of exhibitions and large-scale sculptural commissions for regional artists. The mixture of new work by Hutson and restored vintage signs will activate imaginations through this decidedly retro, yet strangely contemporary medium of bendy gaseous typography.