(Image: Museum of Museums)
A sad Seattle arts loss this year could be brightened with a new home for a creation that has lit up First Hill nights outside the Museum of Museums.
Artist Dylan Neuwirth’s ALL MY FRIENDS neon sculpture that has stood in front of the now-shuttered arts venue is currently up for auction on eBay. Starting bid? $30,000.
CHS reported here this summer as founder Greg Lundgren said heavy infrastructure costs to maintain and improve the former mid-century styled medical building were too much to continue the 2021-opened museum.
As part of the shutdown, Lundgren is now trying to find a new home for Neuwirth’s creation.
You can bid here
“Four years ago we commissioned Dylan Neuwirth to create a neon sculpture that would light up our Broadway entrance and serve as a technicolor welcome to Capitol Hill. ALL MY FRIENDS quickly became an iconic piece that inspired us on rainy days and illuminated the museum after dark,” Lundgren said. “This neon sculpture has glowed 24 hours a day without incident, and it’s very hard to imagine uprooting it from its current home.”
Now Lundgren and MoM are trying to find a buyer “with the hopes that ALL MY FRIENDS can shine brightly again in another public location.”
So far, the auction has attracted no bidders for the 56″ wide x 96″ tall x 12″ deep steel-framed work.
“This sculpture currently lives on the Broadway facing side of the museum in a high pedestrian trafficked area and has operated 24 hours a day since it’s installation 4 years ago,” the listing reads. “It is a brilliant, colorful, dramatic and iconic neon sculpture in search of a new owner and location and is available for purchase as-is.”
As for any potential buyer receiving their new light sculpture, the seller “will arrange for local pickup only (no shipping),” eBay notes.
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They should reach out to eBay for promotions and marketing. eBay’s PR team will often promote expensive and interesting items, and they have a marketing team based in Bellevue who could promote it to a wider audience. After all, they get a cut, although that might not be the case here, coming from a non-profit organization.