About Neon Design

in 1986, Neon Design was started in the back of a shop on the 3500 block of Southport Ave by glassbender Jim Meehan. The business was sold to salesmen Mike Bruno and Pete Schwaba around 1988 and moved into a little storefront on the east side of the 3800 block of north Ashland Ave.  By the end of the ‘90s, Mike moved to New York City and the shop moved across the street to 3722 N. Ashland Ave. where it remained until 2017 when the building was sold.
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After a short temporary stay on Lincoln Ave, in 2019 Neon Design moved from Wrigleyville to our new ideal permanent space on Evanston’s southern border, 519 Howard Street, one street away from Chicago.
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After training at the short lived American School of Neon in Minneapolis, present owner Charlie Evanson came to Chicago in 1990 to gain more glass-bending experience.  He couldn’t find full time work, but he was more than able to get enough work bouncing around part time at different shops. The first shop that hired him was Neon Design, where he came to work full time in 1999, eventually buying the business from Pete in 2013 - just in time to relocate the shop twice and get set up for a global pandemic.

What an adventure!
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Today, Neon Design is still the most creative, experienced and quality conscious neon shop in the Greater Chicago Area; lighting up stores, restaurants, night clubs, offices, events, wedding receptions, film, television, living rooms, man-caves, she-sheds and bedrooms all across Chicagoland.

On top of serving many local and international brands and businesses, Neon Design is also proudly serving artists alike,  including Dennis Manarchy, Jason Pickleman, Tracey Emin and Theaster Gates.