Kerri Spiteri's Neon Eye Candy at Museum & Crane Arts

Features

•

Aug 17, 2026

The artist Joseph Seigenthaler in his studio

Cobalt Light No.1

Acrylic & spray paint on

wood panel & neon

17.5” x 3.5” x 13.5"

Photo credit: Kerri Spiteri

By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE

Stepping into Echoes in Bloom at Museum & Crane Arts, I was hit with an instant eye-candy rush from the luscious, saccharine paintings and glowing neon. This is the first solo gallery exhibition for LA and Chicago-based multidisciplinary visual artist and DJ, Kerri Spiteri. The work dives straight into her obsession with light and shadows. Eight pieces make up the show: four sculptural paintings on wood incorporating neon elements, and four paintings on canvas. Custom neon glass rods do more than just glow—they cast physical shadows that alter the pieces depending on the time of day or night. Aside from Inside Out No. 1 (2026), a larger 33" x 48" acrylic and spray paint piece, the other works are modest in scale; their size feels beautifully at home inside this intimate, domestic exhibition space housed in a historic Gold Coast building.

Spiteri grew up around parents who were artists and a circle of their creative friends, sparking an early fascination with making things. She was constantly dismantling VCRs and old TVs to figure out their mechanics. That curiosity shifted when she watched a neon artist use fire to bend glass like magic, planting a dream to work with light. Years later, learning that traditional neon craftsmanship was dying out due to cheap LEDs, she decided she couldn't wait around—she dove headfirst into mastering the craft herself.

Spiteri notes that the relationship between the painting and the neon glass rods constantly shifts. In some works, she finishes the painting first, letting the neon react to the surface. In others, she starts with a raw neon line and builds the composition around that shape. This process ensures that the glass rod and the painted surface exist in a dynamic, unpredictable conversation.

Magenta Light No. 1 (detail)

Acrylic & spray

paint on wood

panel & neon

24” x 3.5” x 13”

Photo credit: Kerri Spiteri

My affinity for pink and red made Magenta Light No. 1 (2024) an instant favorite. This is a vibrant, 3-dimensional 13" x 24" x 3 1/2" acrylic and spray paint on wood panel piece. Depending on the time of day and the ambient lighting, the cobalt blue glass rod can cast a shadow across the surface whether lit or unlit. When turned on, especially at night, the combination of blue glass and neon gas projects a gorgeous orange-red wash that bleeds into the painting, illuminating the surrounding space.

The focus shifts completely when looking closely at Inside Out No. 1. This bold, saturated canvas—along with the other traditional paintings—makes up the newest work in the show. It is the most visually intense piece in the exhibition, combining a vivid reddish-pink with softer pink, orange, and blue. The layered spray paint and acrylic mimic a soft, atmospheric haze, giving the canvas a deep, luminous quality.

Beyond the visual impact of the neon pieces, learning how Spiteri achieves her specific colors is fascinating. The glow depends entirely on the gas pumped into her custom periwinkle, cobalt, and dusty pink tubes—neon gas glows orange-red, while argon gas with mercury produces blue. Since there are no filaments to break, they can theoretically glow for decades. Spiteri demonstrated how built-in dimmers alter the light. Because she is also a DJ, this interactive choice makes perfect sense; just like mixing records to shift a room's energy, these dimmers let viewers tweak the light to design their own atmosphere.

Installation view. Photo credit: Museum & Crane Arts.

Spiteri handles all construction herself—from bending the glass to the woodworking, wiring, and installation. She made the frames for this exhibition out of poplar with a linseed finish. These works function as complete, unified objects rather than paintings with neon added on top. She even took a piece off the wall during the opening to show guests the intricate mechanics on the back. To keep the presentation pristine, matching cord covers camouflage the power line running to a power strip tucked out of sight behind the sofa. The result is a beautifully clean, minimal installation.

Watching the space at dusk, I noticed how the room completely transforms. With two floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the neon reflection in the opposite windows blurs colors with city lights outside. This mix of neon and city views matches Spiteri’s daily life, since she splits her time living between LA and Chicago. Indeed, neon is an iconic part of American culture, traditionally lighting up storefront signs, bars, and restaurants. Across all eight works, her sharp punch of color hits a great frequency that ties everything together. While the neon-integrated paintings could have easily dominated the space and overshadowed the four poetic, minimal traditional works, they do not. The canvases remain solid and resplendent. Ultimately, Spiteri’s conversation between light and shadow makes Echoes in Bloom a satisfying exhibition.