Artist Talk and Project Reveal with 2026 Studio Resident James Akers

Join artist James Akers for a presentation on his current residency at UrbanGlass, where he is developing new colors of neon through collaborations with professional glassblowers. During the residency, new glass tubing colors are being created and paired with custom phosphor blends to produce unique illuminated hues.

The talk will introduce the project, share insights into the process of developing new neon colors, and launch a public design challenge. Participants will be invited to submit designs utilizing the new color palette, with the opportunity to have their design selected for fabrication and co-ownership of the finished artwork.

Attendees will also be among the first to see the unveiling of both a physical design submission box and an online submission portal. Whether you're interested in neon, color, design, or collaborative art-making, this event offers a chance to learn about the project and get involved.

About the Artist

James Akers lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, where he is an artist, educator, and commercial neon bender. He creates dense, energetic sculptures that often incorporate neon and electronics. For Akers, neon provides the eye-catching glow of a screen in a three-dimensional, shapeable medium that immerses viewers and commands attention. By integrating modified consumer electronics into his sculptures, he gives them new capabilities—from producing sound and video to scanning objects and interacting with their environment.

Akers received his BFA from Alfred University in 2015. His work has been exhibited at the Corning Museum of Glass, Color Factory Houston, Nicolaysen Art Museum, and the Toyama Glass Art Museum, among other venues.

His artistic practice explores themes of surveillance, influence, consumerism, advertising, celebration, and subversion. He is drawn to people doing things the “wrong way,” finding unexpected approaches and visible traces of process to be fertile ground for creativity. Embracing a “show your work” philosophy, Akers often leaves evidence of making visible in the final piece, allowing viewers to follow the actions and decisions that brought the work into being.