Bermudez Projects is excited to announce that Leticia Maldonado will have her first-ever museum solo exhibit at the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Glendale, California!
Leticia Maldonado | The Storytellers opens Saturday, October 8, 2022 from 6-8 pm. The opening reception is FREE and open to the public.
In this exhibition, life-size sculptural forms made out of neon, plexiglass, found objects, and vintage technology speak to narratives that bind memory, intimacy, and history.
“I believe that we all hold elements of a larger story for each other,” says Maldonado. “And, I wanted to try and make that personal, emotional coexistence visible with the sculptures that comprise The Storytellers.”
For the past ten years, Maldonado has honed a unique approach to art-making which marries an interest in multimedia, as well as her skill at bending intricate, three-dimensional forms out of neon glass. The motifs of the human figure, roses, and birds often repeat and overlap in her work in order to create line-based sculptures that shift depending on the viewer’s perspective. In this exhibition, Maldonado mines her biography to offer various perspectives on loss through three sculptural installations.
“Leticia Maldonado’s work is emblematic of the dynamic work being produced in neon today, as well as the vibrancy of this art form which has been passed down for the past 100 years. Leticia is an incredibly accomplished neon bender, as well as a fascinating artist invested in pushing the limits of her practice,” states MONA Executive Director Corrie Siegel.
Access the full press release and images HERE.
Leticia Maldonado (b. 1980) was born in West Covina, California and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She grew up surrounded by the bright, eye-catching signs atop famous casinos such as The Dunes, The Tropicana, The Flamingo, and The Stardust. For years, she has been mentored by neon artist Michael Flechtner, and has swiftly emerged as a rising star. Maldonado has been featured in two museum group exhibits, including She Bends: Women in Neon and Building Bridges. She lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
About The Museum of Neon Art: Established in 1981, The Museum of Neon Art (MONA) exhibits cutting-edge electric, kinetic, and light-based artworks and historic signage to illuminate the past, present, and future through permanent and rotating exhibitions. MONA is one of the oldest continually artist-led and founded museums in the country; the first museum dedicated to preserving electric, kinetic and neon art; and one of the few museums in the world co-founded by a high school student. The Museum’s collection includes contemporary neon art, vernacular signage, and electrical and technical equipment. Throughout its 40+ year history, MONA has fostered an awareness of historic neon signage through its LUMENS project with the City of L.A., which restored and relit many signs across the city skyline, and its popular bus tour, the “Neon Cruise.” MONA has witnessed the rise and fall of neon used by the sign industry and the current resurgence of neon used by creative artists and commercial designers today. Throughout its history MONA has sustained and celebrated a community of artists and preserved specialized skills and knowledge in order to carry neon, plasma, kinetic, electric, and glass arts into another generation.
