Neon Speaks Festival & Symposium
Neon Symposium & Curiosity Lounge at the Great American Music Hall
September 9, 2023 | 9:30am - 3:00pm
at the Great American Music Hall | 859 O’Farrell St. SF, CA 94109
Register (w/ SF Neon) via Eventbrite!
Our friends at San Francisco Neon host their annual Neon Speaks Festival & Symposium over two weekends in September, with a day-long, in-person gathering in the TL at the historic Great American Music Hall. Join us at GAMH for the “Neon Symposium & Curiosity Lounge,” and be sure to check out the full schedule for neighborhood-specific walking tours, shop talks, and virtual events.
SF Neon produces the annual Neon Speaks festival and symposium to bring neon preservationists and advocates together to celebrate and share information on historic neon restoration and preservation. Vintage neon signs have evolved from advertising to art, and now they serve as landmarks of the day-to-day human experience within communities. The artisans and advocates who take on these preservation projects deserve and desire public acknowledgment, and the opportunity to share experiences.
The Neon Symposium and Curiosity Lounge is SF Neon’s signature day-long event of the festival! Join us for a morning of coffee and panelists featuring neon experts on the frontlines of preservation. Next up are presentations and book signings by the authors of two new fabulous books on vintage signs: Hollywood Signs and Signs That Define Toronto. After a delicious catered lunch and social time, stick around for neon exhibits for the Neon Curiosity Lounge, part science fair and art show. Participants include:
Stephen Coles, Letterform Archive
Bill Concannon, Aargon Neon
Heather David, author of Motel California
Will Durham, Nevada Neon Project
Manny Fabregas, Art of Manny
Kathy Kikkert, author of Hollywood Signs
Kurt Kraier, author of Signs That Define Toronto
Dydia DeLyser and Paul Greenstein, authors of Neon, A Light History
Ames Palms, Rebel Neon
Shawna Peterson, Peterson Neon
Corky Scholl, Save the Signs Denver
Debra Jane Seltzer, RoadsideArchitecture.com
Kate Widdows, PDXNeon.org