Shop Tour & Demo at Neon Works with Jim Rizzo 9/8

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 in a blue moon. 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.

Timed tickets for an hour-long tour at 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm. This is an indoor/outdoor event.

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. Space is limited, book early!

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 or colleague. 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.

Above : Shop tour at Neon Works in Oakland, CA. Photo: Kate Widdows

Below : Jim Rizzo, center, during Neon Works tour. Photo: Al Barna. Adam Taylor creating neon art. Photo: Jim Rizzo.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Neon Works, 967 Grace Avenue, Oakland, United States