Relight an Icon on the Parkway
After illuminating the Parkway since 1990, Neons for Buttonwood went dark in 2015. Photo by Chuck Homler.
Help Us Bring Back “the Beacon”
“Antonakos's work is a visual landmark in Philadelphia that makes the city skyline come alive. There is nothing like it in the city.”
- Len Davidson, Neon Museum of Philadelphia
It’s time to bring this acclaimed sculpture back to life.
In 2015, twenty-five years after it first lit up the sky over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Neons for Buttonwood, the much-loved light sculpture by internationally-recognized artist Stephen Antonakos, went dark.
With the permission of Antonakos family and the artist’s estate, the CityLights Committee is working to restore and relight the sculpture in time for the citywide celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as well as the centennial of Stephen Anonakos’s birth in 2026.
The planned restoration, following the artist’s original drawings, will convert the sculpture to energy-efficient LED technology. With its completion, Neons for Buttonwood will be able to resume its unofficial role as “the Parkway Beacon,” welcoming city residents and visitors from all over the world to Philadelphia’s Art Museum District.
To make a tax-deductible contribution:
Mail a check payable to “Impact Services/CityLights” to:
IMPACT SERVICES CORPORATION
CITYLIGHTS Attn: Ify
1952 E. ALLEGHENY AVE.
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19134-3122