Hi! I'm Van. I am a long time Montanan and a part-time artist. I am still very much new in the neon world. I do not come from a glass background at all, but my extended experience with ceramics created patience and resilience for challenging crafts such-as this. I have worked in the service industry for a while, and also had a quick role in a tattoo shop as well. These two positions led to a lot of exposure to neon along with traditional imagery, and finally, a budding interest in the craft.

I saw Tiza's feature on Vice in 2019, and then I was hooked. I was to travel to the Loveland area to visit family in the spring of 2020, and was excited to see the SheBends neon exhibit, and then COVID hit. Being robbed of this experience, as many of us were, created a desire of understanding. I had nothing but time, and I began researching everything I could about neon. COVID continued, as it does today, but I needed to see the creation for myself.

After calling all of the neon benders in Montana that I could, I starting bending by the kindness of my mentor, Ben, in Dillon Montana. He started working with me in February of 2021. I spent every other weekend driving 2.5 hrs to his shop to learn the basics. After successfully bending some block letters, I realized this was something I wished to pursue for a long time.

This last spring, I was awarded an opportunity to attend a course at UrbanGlass in NYC with the talented Stephanie Lifshutz assisted by Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez. There, I learned so much regarding different techniques and fires, and walked away with a small cowboy hat filled with krypton. Upon returning, I reached out to a local artist, Willem Volkersz, to discuss his use of neon and the conversation of craft vs. art.

It is interesting to me the variations in perspective of those that formally studied art, and those that were forced to only pursue art on the side. Coming from a background that did not see art as a career, but more of an elitist choice in education, at times I wish I would have boldly pivoted and risked that route. Now, as I pester anyone that utilizes neon in Montana, I often times feel that I am living two lives; one as a bookkeeper, and one as an aspiring craftswoman.

Ultimately, I am hoping to create a small personal shop in which to continue to practice bending, taking my work to Ben to receive feedback on my bends and (one day!) processing. Currently, I am saving up for resources, fires, and space here in Bozeman.