The Neon Museum announces a call for entries for its 2020 National Artist Residency. Now in its fifth year, the Neon Museum National Residency offers a U.S.-based contemporary artist the opportunity to explore and interpret The Neon Museum’s historic collection within a broader cultural context nationwide. During the winning candidate’s tenure in Las Vegas, the local community will have multiple opportunities to engage with the artist and their work. This program/project is supported, in part, by the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency and the state of Nevada.

“Hosting this annual program enables us to introduce the community to a diverse array of artists who draw inspiration from The Neon Museum’s collection,” said Rob McCoy, president and chief executive officer, The Neon Museum. “It’s gratifying to be able to provide a platform for new creative output and cultural dialogue.”

The successful entrant will be selected based on demonstrated artistic excellence, quality and clarity of the submission, quality and benefit of the proposed public program and demonstrated ability to complete the project within the allotted schedule. Upon completion of the residency, the museum requests the artist contribute a mutually agreed-upon artwork to the museum’s collection.

The residency spans eight weeks from June 15 through Aug. 7, 2020. For the successful candidate, the Neon Museum will provide:

• $3,000 stipend plus a modest budget for materials, if required.
• $800 travel allowance.
• Living accommodations for eight weeks in downtown Las Vegas.
• A 1,000-square-foot studio space inside the museum’s 10,000-square-foot Ne10 Studio; this space is climate-controlled (essential during Las Vegas summers) and has a ceiling height of 19 feet.
• Access to the museum’s sign collection and archives, marketing and publicity support, photographic documentation and staffing to assisting with administering the public portion of the program.

Eligible artists must live in the United States and work in the field of visual arts (including two- and three-dimensional work as well as digital and video art), performance or sound and be over the age of 18. Applications are due Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, by 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Click here for application instructions.

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 (“boneyard” is traditionally the name for an area where items no longer in use are stored); the North Gallery, home to the nighttime augmented-reality, audiovisual spectacle, “Brilliant!”; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit space; and its visitors’ center, housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby. The museum collection also includes nine restored signs installed as public art throughout downtown Las Vegas. Public education, outreach, research, archival preservation and a grant-funded neon sign survey represent a selection of the museum’s ongoing projects. Both the Neon Boneyard and the La Concha Visitors’ Center are located at 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North in Las Vegas. Click here for tour schedules and pricing information. Follow on Facebook,Instagram and Twitter.