Meet the artist behind San Antonio's new neon signs
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The restored Ranch Motel neon sign and a new neon sign at Leo's Hideout pizzeria downtown. Photos: Courtesy of Adam Smo
Neon is rising in popularity once again, and a San Antonio artist has carved out a niche as a go-to neon sign maker for local businesses.
Why it matters: Neon is undeniably cool. It turns everyday businesses into landmarks, as iconic signs create a sense of place and draw in enamored customers.
- But as a craft and artform, it isn't widely practiced.
State of play: Adam Smolensky, who goes by Smo, tells Axios he got his start as a neon artist in glassblowing.
- He was struggling to get by when he attended a gathering of glassblowers at a neon shop in North Carolina. That's when he realized that even a little bit of neon work could cover his bills.
- Now, he hires part-time employees to help meet the demand for his small business, Smo Glass & Neon.
Zoom in: He created the signs at several Empty Stomach Group spots like High Horse Ice House, Merci Jones, Leo's Hideout and Kaedama Battleship. He's done work for Jue Let and Plantaqueria.
- He also restored older neon signs for the Ranch Motel and Del Bravo Record Shop.
How it works: It can take anywhere from a day to several months to make one neon sign.
- Smo says he offers customers a lifetime warranty for repairs because they're needed so infrequently.
What they're saying: "Each one's unique," Smo says of his signs.
- "A lot of signs these days lack creativity, and they're a little stagnant," he says. "I'm not saying they look bad. But you look at the signs of the past, and it's almost like each business just really had some personality to it."
The big picture: Neon became commercially available around 1930, but it was largely replaced by cheaper plastic signs in the 1950s, and later by LEDs.
- Now neon is back, enjoying a renaissance driven in part by artists and by Gen Z, whose members are leading the charge for all things nostalgic, handmade and analog.
The bottom line: "Currently we're in one of the biggest waves of neon," Smo says.