Signage in the Neon Boneyard at The Neon Museum.
(Photo courtesy of The Neon Museum)
THE NEON MUSEUM RECEIVES CONSERVATION
GRANTS FOR SIGN COLLECTION
The Neon Museum has received grants for the upkeep and preservation of the sign collection in the Neon Boneyard. As an open-air museum, the Boneyard’s collection faces challenges traditional indoor museums do not encounter. To address this matter, The Neon Museum conducted a Collections Assessment Plan (CAP) in 2018, funded in part by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS). The CAP provided valuable direction toward creating a long-term conservation treatment plan reflecting best practices for collections management and upkeep of all objects in the Museum’s permanent collection.
The project is funded in part by a $5,000 grant from the Modernism and Recent Past Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and in part by a $5,000 grant from the City of Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission through the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial. Together, these grants will help fund a conservator to study the collection and research the optimal methods to stabilize and preserve the Museum’s priceless artifacts. To spearhead this study, the Museum has contracted Architectural Resources Group (ARG), which has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland and has provided expertise in historic preservation for 40 years.
“We are excited to receive these grants from the National Trust and The City Of Las Vegas,” said Rob McCoy, president and chief executive officer, The Neon Museum. “The preservation of the collection is crucial to the future of the museum.”
ABOUT THE NEON MUSEUM
Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment. It has been named “Best Museum” by Las Vegas Weekly, one of “Sin City’s Best Retro Sites” by MSN, “No. 1 Las Vegas Museum Sure to Entertain and Educate” by USA Today’s 10best.com, “One of the Top 10 Coolest Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do” by Forbes.com, one of the “Top 10 Historic Spots in Las Vegas” by Vegas.com; one of “15 Most Fascinating Museums in the U.S.” by VacationIdea.com; and earns a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor. On its 2.27-acre campus, the Neon Museum houses an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard; the North Gallery, home to the nighttime augmented-reality, audiovisual spectacle, “Brilliant!”; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and its visitors’ center, housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby. Both the Neon Boneyard and the La Concha Visitors’ Center are located at 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North in Las Vegas.