Magical Mystery Lure - Page 3

"Just yesterday I got a haircut at a barber shop that has two neon signs," he says. "They're cropped off on the top to give the impression of a flat-top [haircut]. The owner said that the way he had the signs done improved business."

Barna has also been finding that more and more neon artists are now sharing information. "People aren't as competitive and secretive as they used to be, and that helps foster the craft," he says.

However, staunch defenders of neon, like Barna and Homan, have seen many of the Bay Area's neon signs replaced with the harsh, one-directional quality of LED lighting.

"LED manufacturers got hip to the fact that if you call it neon, you can sell it better," says Barna. "[It's] kind of a big misinformation campaign."

"There's no program in San Francisco for LEDs, because they're not recyclable," he explains. "With neon, the cabinet, glass, and copper wiring are recyclable and valuable."

"We actually did a neon presentation at the local Herman Miller [furnishings] showroom, only to find out after the event that it was sponsored by a company that manufacturers LEDs," adds Homan.

With the help of key supporters, Barna and Homan have succeeded in creating a sign ordinance in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, an area that still has a high density of historic signs and architecture.

They're also associated with SF Shines, a storefront improvement program that benefits small businesses.

"We're the only designers on contract with a grant to design new neon signs, and we can make recommendations as to which sign companies can make the signs," says Barna.

"The thing we're proud of is that city planners actually asked us to develop neon sign design guidelines," adds Homan. "That was voted on by the Board of Supervisors."

If all of this is not enough to keep the couple busy, Barna and Homan are also the producers of Neon Speaks, an international festival, now in its eighth year, focused on the history and future of neon as an art form.

They also lead walking tours of San Francisco neon, and have been working with the city's supervisors to develop a special sign district in the North Beach and Chinatown neighborhoods.

"Our goal is to make this tangible," says Homan, "and to create a space for people who love old things like neon art and neon signs."

The next time you look up at a neon sign, consider this. "Neon is still being used to draw people together," says Dydia DeLyser. "It's still cutting edge, and it's still a beacon for business. Business cards are going extinct, but neon is not."

• To experience the magic of neon in person, plan a visit to these neon-centric specialty programs and museums: Neon Speaks, San Francisco (neonspeaks.org); Tenderloin Museum, San Francisco (tenderloinmuseum.org); Museum of Neon Art, Glendale (neonmona.org); Neon Sign Museum, Las Vegas (neonmuseum.org); American Sign Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio (americansignmuseum.org)

Photography: Randall Ann Homan and Al Barna, Heather David, Thomas Hawk, Charles Chapman, Mark Carrodus, Forest Casey, Museum of Neon Art