DOWNTOWN : Hopes Brighten for Second Neon Gallery

The Museum of Neon Art, which moved from Downtown to Universal City last year, could bring back its bright and flashy exhibits if the City Council approves a $415,000 grant.

Museum officials intend to stay at Universal City but want to use most of the money to open a second, larger gallery on the ground floor of Renaissance Tower, a 192-unit apartment complex at 501 W. Olympic Blvd., said Gayle Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Community Redevelopment Agency.

The grant, which would also cover museum operating costs for five years, was offered by the agency to help revive the local arts scene in Downtown, she said.

“We started talking to them to see if they’d be interested in re-establishing themselves back in (Downtown) Los Angeles,” said David Riccitiello, a redevelopment agency project manager.

“They made it clear to us that the space they have now at (Universal) CityWalk is much smaller than they really needed in order to effectively exhibit their collection,” Riccitiello said.

The 7,000 square feet of space available at the Renaissance Tower would meet the museum’s need, he said. City Council members could vote on the redevelopment agency’s proposal in 30 days.

The Museum of Neon Art, which collects electric signs and classic marquees such as the 43-foot Southern California Gas Co. flame, was a mainstay on Traction Avenue near Little Tokyo for 12 years, said director Mary Carter.

But temporary closure of the Temporary Contemporary Museum and the April, 1992, riots contributed to a sharp drop in Neon Art’s annual average of 15,000 to 20,000 visitors, Carter said.

The museum eventually closed in February, 1993, and looked elsewhere for a gallery. In May, it accepted an offer from MCA Development Co. to relocate to a rent-free building on Universal CityWalk.

MCA also allowed museum officials to attach 25 neon signs along the facades of other buildings at CityWalk. The stretch, which leads to Universal Studios and Universal City Cineplex Odeon Theatre, attracts an estimated 8 million people a year, MCA officials said.

“It was intended to give people a taste of electric art,” Carter said. “We have a small gallery there where we show changing exhibitions of fine art, and a small museum store.”

She said thousands visit every week.

Though pleased with the CityWalk location, Carter said the 1,000-square-foot space “is not really sufficient to meet our exhibition needs.”

The museum director believes a Renaissance Tower gallery could house an additional 25 to 30 pieces from the museum’s historical collection and feature standing contemporary fine art shows and changing exhibitions. Some items to display could include a 13-foot, porcelain RCA sign with the image of the company’s dog in white neon light and a portrait of Elvis and his guitar--crafted by the museum’s founder, Lili Lakich.

If funding for the gallery is approved, Carter also plans to use the site for its educational programs and invite students for special tours and neon art demonstrations.

Jon Peterson, president of the Downtown Arts Development Assn., said the Museum of Neon Art’s return could help propel a resurgence of Downtown arts groups.