Art After Dark

Art After Dark at the Bergstrom-Mahler Glass Museum popped up in my Facebook Feed offering free museum admission after hours to see the Bending Brilliance: Neon and Plasma Sculpture Exhibit. Three things caught my eye: Museum, Glow in the Dark, Free. I like all those things especially free. Danielle and I checked out but opted not to go in costume.

The exhibits were constructed using Neon, Plasma, or other light up material. There were several exhibit halls filled with light up sculptures both upstairs and down. Some of the exhibits featured glass objects already found in the museum that were made with certain material (which I can’t remember the name to) that under lights (like black light) it glows in the dark.

The museum staff was dressed as scientists answering questions, forbidding me to take a picture of a really cool piece of art, and showing us how the glow in the dark glass worked. To make sure, we didn’t get too close to the exhibits, they put black adhesive tape on the floor so you could get up close but not too close to knock them over. Danielle had to pull me back from one b/c the tip of my shoe crossed the line which was at a diagonal.

I am not one for art museums and art but this is my kind of art… more than just paintings. The various ways the artists incorporated neon or plasma into their sculptures was mind boggling. I was expecting neon signs and lights not sculptures and moving “lava lamp” type designs.

Some of the pieces incorporated other objects into the design such as pins to make a centipede.

If you get a chance before the exhibit closes in February go check it out. The Museum is offering additional Art After Dark events every 3rd Thursday of the month between now and February. It is free and the art is amazing to see.