Native Neon Residency Launches for Indigenous Artists at Lite Brite Neon Studio
In Kingston, New York, Lite Brite Neon Studio has teamed up with the Walker Youngbird Foundation to introduce Native Neon, a residency initiative aimed at Indigenous artists specializing in neon art. Established in 1999 and moved in 2017, the studio has worked with notable figures such as Glenn Ligon and has created pieces for the Museum of Modern Art. The first recipient of this program is Sarah Rowe, a member of the Ponca Tribe, who will receive $50,000, a $10,000 stipend, and a week-long residency. Her upcoming works include the solo exhibition "Water Ledger" (2025-26) and the mural "Starseeds" (2023). The residency kicks off in September, focusing on the Lakota trickster figure, heyoka. Reid Walker emphasized the need for better Indigenous representation.
Key facts
- Lite Brite Neon Studio and Walker Youngbird Foundation launch Native Neon residency.
- Sarah Rowe is the inaugural recipient, receiving $50,000, a $10,000 stipend, and a week-long residency.
- Rowe is an enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and of Lakota descent.
- The residency begins in September with plans to exhibit the finished work nearby.
- Marie Watt's neon work 'Shared Horizon (Keepers of the Eastern Door)' (2024) was fabricated at the studio.
- Reid Walker serves on the National Gallery of Art's collectors committee and the Tate's North American acquisitions committee.
- Lite Brite Neon Studio moved to a 15,000-sq.-ft facility in Kingston in 2017.
- Rowe's recent projects include the 2025-26 solo exhibition 'Water Ledger' and the mural 'Starseeds' (2023).
Entities
Artists
- Glenn Ligon
- Theaster Gates
- Jeffrey Gibson
- Sarah Rowe
- Marie Watt
Institutions
- Lite Brite Neon Studio
- Walker Youngbird Foundation
- Museum of Modern Art
- Dia Art Foundation
- John Michael Kohler Arts Center
- Great Plains Art Museum
- National Gallery of Art
- Tate
- Phillips Collection
Locations
- Kingston
- New York
- Brooklyn
- Sheboygan
- Wisconsin
- Omaha
- Nebraska