About this Event
About the Neon Works Shop Tour and Demo
Jim Rizzo of Neon Works in Oakland has been rescuing and restoring Bay Area neon signs for decades and he only opens his shop for tours once a year. Jim is a master sign-maker and he's letting us into his 17,000-square-foot workshop to explore the art and craft of neon signs. You'll learn about the anatomy of neon signs, how they are made, and how they've changed over time. This is your chance to photograph Jim's fabrication shop and vintage neon collection. Neon artist Adam Taylor will demonstrate tube-bending talents and artistry to show how neon, glass, skill, and fire combine to make a neon sign glow.
Location: 967 Grace Ave, Oakland, CA
This is an indoor/outdoor event. Choose a timed ticket for a tour:
1:00–2:00 pm
or
2:30–3:30 pm
The guided shop tour is 1 hour. At the end of the guided tour you’ll exit through the sign “boneyard” and you are welcome to hang out there for 15 minutes and ask questions. Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan of SF Neon will be on hand to answer questions about the history of neon signs and what it takes to restore vintage signs.
This tour is an official event of the Neon Speaks Festival & Symposium. NeonSpeaks.org
No refunds. But if you find you can't attend, you may transfer your ticket to the name of a friend. Log on to Eventbrite and edit the name on your ticket before the tour date.
A few minutes before your tour start time, line up near the door with the neon "Office" sign. Someone will be outside to check your ticket and answer questions. If you are running late for your ticket time, ring the bell near the moving gate for the sign yard, and we'll open the gate to let you start the tour with the presentation in the sign yard.
Banner photo of Jim Rizzo in his shop by Samantha Laurey. Photos above by Doug Zimmerman (L-R Adam Taylor, Kate Rizzo, Jim Rizzo). Photo below of Adam Taylor bending glass by Jim Rizzo.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Neon Works, 967 Grace Avenue, Oakland, United States
USD 37.05
