The Education Department opened the Ne10 Studio in Las Vegas to museum guests, staff and friends to allow them to view the art created by its visiting visionaries. In the indoor space that many of the artists created, guests could mix with the art and have a private conversation with them. Given the difficulties of the pandemic, how could our team recreate this intimate experience?

The Neon Museum had been searching for a solution to a similar problem earlier in 2020 when it was forced to halt and close its doors to the Boneyard's main collection. The Museum was looking for a way to keep the lights on in a safe and informative manner. After extensive research, it was discovered that Matterport, an immersive 360-photography platform, was being used by other museums.

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Matterport cameras capture 360-degree photos that are then stitched together with patented laser-guided technology. Every photo taken by this camera is used to create maps from one point to the next. The camera projects invisible lasers that show the location of the camera relative to its surroundings. When loaded into Matterport, the seamless walkthrough is created by moving the camera carefully through space one foot at a time. Administrators can add additional support content, such as photos, audio clips, and text, to the space after scanning it. Virtual visitors can view the result from their computer and then embed it into a website. Pants are not required, unlike in the museum.

This technology was perfect for capturing Victor's artist-in-residence installation. It was possible to see the scale and texture of his art in a way that simply a photo or video could not. After the installation of his artwork in the Ne10 space museum staff began scanning more than 120 data points throughout the warehouse. Visitors were able to view the warehouse from a different angle, allowing them to take a self-guided tour of the space.

Matterport image added with support information links

Next was adding content to the scan. Hundreds of photos were taken of Victor during Victor's residency. They showed him at various stages of creation, and interacted with Las Vegas residents. The exhibit's story was told through images and videos. These photos include Victor at work in his Juhl studio space, as well as his time in Hartlauer Signs glass workshop with Oscar Gonzalez, a skilled neon bender.Victor assembles wireframe of Masquerade in the Ne10 Studio

Victor was also interviewed by the team. This gave virtual visitors the opportunity to listen to Victor's thoughts on the creations in an audio interview. Museum members were invited for a Zoom webinar, where they were guided through each piece in "What You Mean to Me." After the guided tour, Victor answered questions and shared his passion for neon.

All these pieces together created a coherent picture of Victor's experience walking through the Ne10 studio. The tour can be accessed by clicking through. This technology allows visitors to interact with the collection in a safe environment and also extends the museum's artistic and educational reach. People from all over the world can now enjoy the same content and conversation as The Neon Museum.

victor silhouettedVictor wearing the neon work "Harvesting Dreams, Fireflies with My Brother"We invite you to give it a try! Visit 360 Tour of 2020 Artist In Residence.

The Nevada Arts Council, a state agency that receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency) and the State of Nevada, supports this program in part. The Neon Museum would like to thank Juhl Las Vegas for their generous support.