Richmond's last neon shop gets new ownership

Why it matters: She's promising to keep Richmond's neon signs glowing, while also bringing the shop into the Instagram era and courting foot traffic from curious passersby.

What they're saying: Kottwitz told Axios there's still a case to be made for the craft even as much of the sign industry has transitioned to LEDs.

• "A glass neon sign will last longer than my lifetime," she said.

Details: After earning a bachelor's in fine art in 2021, Kottwitz moved to Richmond and trained under Solyan, who ran the shop for 35 years until his death last year.

• She ran the shop on an interim basis before formally purchasing the business this year, per Richmond BizSense, which first reported the buyout.

You've probably already seen her work around town.

• Among other jobs, she made all of the large neon signs hanging in the Park.

Of note: The shop on West Cary Street itself is something to behold.

• She estimates she has more than 1,000 working neon pieces, which are hung, stacked and piled on every available surface.
• And she has a special bin of affordable bits and pieces aimed at walk-in customers.