Kelsey Fernkopf‘s light sculptures are impressive in scale and shape, breaking classic ‘rules’ of the neon industry (primarily longevity, as the tubes’ irregular shapes make the less stable). Getting his start at a neon shop in Kansas City, then moving to Seattle in 1987 to work at the National Sign Corporation, Fernkopf has taken his trade skills from the sign shop to his latest installation at Foster / White Gallery in Pioneer Square, Outside: In.

When Kelsey partnered with Seattle Design Festival in 2022 to create the “Hothouse” installation alongside KT Hancock, crowds were drawn to the irregularly shaped neon – a monstera-shaped structure situated in a greenhouse, entirely made of custom-blown neon tubes. Fernkopf later spoke with Seattle Design Festival team members for a 2024 edition of “Design in Community” to provide more insight into his work.

Celebrate design in community by visiting the installation at Foster White, on-view through October 23, and reading Kelsey’s latest profile in The Stranger, “Field of Beams,” to learn more his beginnings in the field and “awe-inspiring big neon.”

“Why make this kind of art?

‘Because I can. Not many people can do what I do.’” — Kelsey Fernkopf in conversation with Amanda Manitach for The Stranger

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Photos courtesy of Foster / White Gallery