The Artistic Glow Of Science

“Roanoke is literally glowing,” said Nancy McCrickard, executive director for the Science Museum of Western Virginia.  Concurrently geared towards achieving her Ph.D. at Virginia Tech for Teaching and Learning, McCrickard knows exactly what this science exhibit needs.  Based off a Franklin County native who was fatally injured by his work in 2004, this exhibit has made him and his passion timeless.  

Sea corals, bumblebees, custom clocks, cartoons, human faces, reptiles, jellyfish, and historic Coca-Cola signs line the walls and suspend from the ceilings.  What do they all have in common?  They’re glowing of neon.  Many who are curious as to how this works should make sure to visit McCrickard’s exhibit, In the Glow: The Science Behind the Art of Neon.  This 3,000-square foot exhibit is scheduled to run until May 2008.

Mark Jamison, a prominent creator and preserver of neon, also known as The Neon Man, is a highlight.  Established just in time for the First Roanoke Arts Festival, the exhibit follows closely alongside the play, The Neon Man and Me.

Jamison sparked a phenomenon.  His art consisted of fitted glass tubes, easily blown and bent into any direction, filled with neon to create a wonderful and radiant piece of art.

Three leading designers of neon, also presented within In The Glow, include Lili Lakich, Candice Gawne and Larry Albright.  Each artist is known for his or her unique perspective and mediums using neon that leave a warmer, rather than tougher, outlook on neon signs and art.  The artwork is accompanied by details on how it works as well as videos of step-by-step procedures.  There are also examples of various forms of glass tubes and equipment seen throughout the exhibit.

Furthermore, the interiors of rooms brought back from the past are modeled. Their interior design includes old-fashioned radios playing music, clocks, sofas, and magazines, with the most interesting aspect being the neon lamps flickering so brilliantly among them.  An isolated rock sits atop a heightened platform, but when observed closely, can be seen bound by a neon wire. 

Thinking outside the box is what makes In The Glow so extraordinary.  Neon tubes travel beyond their frames in many signs, expanding one’s focus far from the mundane.  How does this spectrum of light come about?  The 200 different possible colors that stem from neon art are each affected of only three things: neon gas, glass tubing, and phosphor.