Will Durham on the Nevada Neon Project

A few years ago, Nevada's state element was declared to be neon, to reflect the importance of neon lights in the identity of our cities both big and small. The effort to make this happen was spearheaded by local neon preservationist and director of the Nevada Neon Project, Will Durham. Will has been saving neon signs from destruction throughout the state for many years, and has amassed a collection he hopes to turn into a world-class museum here in Reno.  On this episode of Renoites, Conor and Will discuss the importance of neon to Nevada's identity and history, the technical craft of creating neon art and advertising, the process of lobbying the Nevada legislature to designate neon as the state element (which passed unanimously in both houses), the opportunities he has had to display pieces from the collection, and his vision for a neon museum in Northern Nevada. You can learn more and see photos on the Nevada Neon Project Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/nevadaneonproject/ If you would like to support Renoites, there are many ways to do so: Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites Contribute financially via Patreon at http://patreon.com/renoites Send feedback or guest suggestions to [email protected] Come visit and buy some Renoites merch at the Riverside Farmers Market Attend a live taping of Renoites at Black Rabbit Mead! The next LIVE episode will feature Sierra Regional Roller Derby on Thursday, July 27. Thanks for listening!