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11.18.23 // Public Art

NEON Holiday Stars 2023

The 2023 custom holiday star décor for the NEON District was hand-painted by The Governor’s School for the Arts students. Lead artist Zach Ellis created “Baker’s Disaster,” an array of cookie designs inspired by holiday baking. There are some baking mistakes that we may have all encountered–some cookies are burnt, and some have icing that NEON Holiday Stars 2023

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11.29.22 // Public Art

NEON Holiday Stars 2022

The 2022 custom holiday star décor for the neighborhood was hand-painted by The Governor’s School for the Arts students. Fresh off their Gourmandizing mural in NEON, the ten art students had a few weeks left of the semester to tackle another paint project. The cheerful and colorful designs were on view at Retail Alliance’s parking NEON Holiday Stars 2022

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11.20.21 // Public Art

NEON Holiday Stars 2021

After a successful first year of custom holiday designs, two new artists were selected for the 2021 holiday season to create a new vision for the district’s star décor. Custom star paintings by Aimee Bruce inspired by neon lights and bokeh dots were displayed at Retail Alliance’s parking lot, in the Plot flower bed and NEON Holiday Stars 2021

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10.18.21 // Public Art

Alley “Rug”

In the fall of 2021 The Governor’s School for the Arts visual arts student Ronan Breckenbridge designed a new “rug” for the rotating art site in Magazine Lane, between 801 Granby and Hurrah’s Copeland Center. Caelan Shaw and Morgan Jones assisted. The alley rug is a popular selfie spot in NEON. A new rug was Alley “Rug”

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10.03.21 // Public Art

Affinity

Young Governor’s School for the Arts visual artist Layla Todd’s design was selected for a new mural on the rotating art site in Magazine Lane. The goal of this project was to create a design that was simple but stylistically unique enough to make a recognizable and memorable piece. The shapes, line and color together Affinity

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09.30.21 // Public Art

Public Gallery on a Post

In 2021, summer campers with Lil Truck of Tools built by hand a tiny gallery modeled after Little Free Library, as they learned to use power tools and the fundamentals of construction. Artists could apply to show artworks for a month at a time at the Public Gallery on a Post in Norfolk’s NEON District.

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08.01.21 // Public Art

NEON Fence Gallery

The NEON District Fence Gallery was a temporary outdoor art exhibition surrounding the former Greyhound Bus Station in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. The gallery was comprised of twenty vinyl mesh panels printed with local and regional artists’ designs along the Granby Street and Brambleton Avenue sides of the site’s fence. Artists were asked to share artwork NEON Fence Gallery

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06.07.21 // Public Art

Love Across the USA

To celebrate the LQBTQ+ community during Pride month in 2021, the NEON District joined a national movement to spread some love to every state in the USA (and beyond). Local fiber artist Tania Rich crocheted six rainbow yarn bombs emblazoned with the word LOVE, hand-stitching them to light poles in the center of the NEON Love Across the USA

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08.03.20 // Public Art

NEON Wayfinding Posters 2020

In 2017, Work Program Architects, Downtown Norfolk Council and Sway Creative Labs joined forces to create an artistic sign package for NEON that included pedestrian signs, gateway fixtures and sidewalk “breadcrumbs” to lead visitors around the neighborhood. Two custom fabricated steel signs were placed on Olney Road and Grace Street with attraction listings and windows NEON Wayfinding Posters 2020

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7th Annual
 NEON Festival

The 7th annual NEON Festival returned to NFK October 20 & 21, 2022. The nights were lit with performances, music, murals, art and more!

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Call For Artists

Hundreds of artists have passed through NEON walls over the years. Big or small, international or your next door neighbor, high school student or college professor - artists of all kinds and skill levels are welcome to contribute to the NEON District's public art collection. Apply for project-based open calls throughout the year to join the club.

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