CECE Bittner

Cece Bittner is a neon sign artist graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Bittner uses her artwork as a beacon of hope to those who struggle with mental illness and hopes to end the negative stigmas associated with them.

“Take Your Meds”

by Cece Bittner

“My name is Cecelia Bittner, but most people know me as Cece. I’m 22 and live in downtown Madison with my two disabled cats, Louis (missing a foot) and Willie (has one eye). I am originally from Janesville, WI where I was born and raised until I left for college in 2018. I graduated this past December from UW - Madison with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies and Psychology. I plan on going back to school for my master’s in psychedelic therapy, but I will be taking a couple of gap years so that I can experience life without the weight and constraints of school. I’m the bar manager at Comedy on State and I absolutely love my job there. When I’m not slinging drinks at the club, you can find me crocheting, hanging out with friends, listening to Mac Miller or Peach Pit, getting a tattoo, or sitting by the lake with my cats watching the ducks.”

-Cece Bittner, 2023

“During my last semester at UW, I took an art class titled Neon Light Sculpture taught by Tom Zickuhr. I took the class because I thought it would be fun during my last semester, but I wasn’t prepared to fall in love with neon as an art medium. I was going through a lot in my personal life so the glass lab became my escape from reality where I spent countless hours over the course of 14 weeks. My mini-series is centered around mental health and is my way of fighting the stigma against using medication to treat mental illnesses. “READY FOR PICK UP: D-AMPHETAMINE ER 20mg” is a reference to the monthly notification I get on my phone to pick up my Adderall prescription from the pharmacy. Since being diagnosed with ADHD I’ve learned that it is largely misunderstood by both the general and medical populations-- Adderall is more than a study drug and ADHD is more than being unfocused and fidgety. This piece is a way for me to express part of my identity, but I also want it to ignite educational conversations that break down the misconceptions surrounding ADHD.”

-Cece Bittner, 2023

“TAKE YOUR MEDS is the reminder I receive on my phone every day hence the title of the piece “Reminder - 12:00 PM, Daily”. The neon is mounted on a frame filled with assorted pills laid in resin. The assorted pills are my way of representing my journey with mental health. I want this piece to call attention to the stigma surrounding medication for mental illnesses. People tend to hide their mental health out of fear, so I created a bright, colorful piece that forces people to acknowledge it. There shouldn’t be shame in taking medication to be okay. Medication can bring out the beautiful parts of us that get locked away, and I believe that should be celebrated rather than silenced. I want this piece to be a reminder of the beautiful intricacies of mental health and a reminder to TAKE YOUR MEDS.”

-Cece Bittner, 2023

  • For those of us unfamiliar with the art of neon sign making, could you sum up the process of making one for us?

    Oof it is quite a detailed and long process but I will try my bes to sum it upt. First we create our design and draw out the pattern to follow as a guideline through the process. We put the glass in either a cross fire or ribbon burner. These are torches that get up to over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit and we use them to melt the glass enough so that we can bend it. When we have the tube in the flame we have a mouth hose hooked up to it so that we can blow air into it as we make our bends to prevent the glass from collapsing on itself. We continue this over and over until we have the desired shape/design of the unit. Once the unit is complete we weld electrodes on either end. It is then hooked up to a bombarder which heats up the glass to extremely high temperautures to burn out all the impurities and vacuum them out, pumps it full of gas, and charges it with electricity. Then we blackout paint the parts we don’t want lit up or seen. After this, we wire the units together and connect it to a transformer which is what is plugged in and gives the unit electricity to light up. Finally, we set it up for display and light it up!

  • What is it that fascinates you about neon?

    The science that goes into working with neon is fascinating. It’s pretty much all chemistry. We work with neon, argon, mercury, helium, phosphors, and more. We use elements that are invisible to the naked eye and create something that can be seen for miles. I love that elements usually only referenced in the STEM world hold a place in the fine art world as well.

  • Have you always had this attraction towards neon signs or was this something that came along later in life?

    I’ve always enjoyed neon signs- they’re bright, colorful, fun, and stick out- but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I started to appreciate neon as a fine art form rather than just a sign. There is definitely a misconception that neon is only sign work, but when I explored it as an art medium I learned the endless possibilities that neon has, whether that be 2D, 3D, sculptures, etc.

  • What exactly makes a neon sign glow? How do you change the colors?

    The glass tube is sealed with metal electrodes at either end creating a seal. Gas is pumped into the unit. Once the unit is wired to a transformer, it send volts of electricity into through the electrodes creating an electrical current. This causes electrons to bounce back and forth which ultimately creates the light. The colors change based on the gas being pumped into the unit and the glass tubing. Neon makes red, helium makes orange, argon makes lavender, etc. Glass tubing will either be clear (which will show the natural color of the gas) or it will be coated with phosfor or colored glass. Just like mixing paints, we will use the gas and the phosphor or glass color to create different colors.

  • What is the most difficult part of making neon signs?

    It is super fragile, tedious, and takes a lot of patience. You could spend weeks on a project and have it break during the bombarding process. You really have to clear your head and be in tune with every move you’re making. It’s also super dangerous. We’re working with glass, fire, gas, and high voltage electricity so you always have to be aware of your surroundings and be cautious with each step.

  • How long does it take for you to make one of your neon signs?

    There isn’t a straight forward answer to this question. It depends on the project because there are so many factors that contribute to the amount of time it takes. My adderall piece took me about 3 weeks from drawing the pattern to mounting it on the wall. I used colored glass which can be hard to work with and I had to redo it a number of times. I made the same project with clear glass and I finished the glass part in about 2 hours. It also depends on the level of experience. A beginner will make more mistakes and have to restart whereas a professional can whip out a project in a day.

  • Do you remember the first neon project you made, if so what was it? What was something you learned from it?

    My first neon project was the three stick challenge in my neon class. We could only use 3 straight sticks of neon, but we had full artisitic freedom to do what we wanted with those three sticks. I mounted mine to my moped and had it in front of a projector that was playing a driving scene through a cartoon city. I learned the realm of possibilities neon has. All of my classmates came up with completely different ideas even though we were all given the same materials.

  • What type of subjects do you like to convey in your neon art?

    As of right now I’ve been combining my psychology and mental health background with my neon art. Mental health is a clear theme of mine in previous art classes or projects. I’ve done film and digital photography, drawing, collages, etc and I consistantly try to incorporate some kind of mental health message in my work. I majored in Pscyhology and want to be a therapist, but I’ve also dealt with mental health problems throughout my life and this is what inspires whatever I’m creating most of the time.

  • What is something you wish more people knew about neon sign making?

    Neon is not just neon signs. Neon is SO MUCH MORE than just signs. When people think of neon they usually think of bar signs, restaurant signs, or some form of advertisement. The commercial world of neon overshadows the fine art world of neon and I wish people appreciated it as a fine art more.

  • What do you hope to do in the the future with your expertise with neon sign making?

    I hope to find a way to continue working with neon. It’s super hard to find a studio to work in and it’s very expensive. I would like to find a studio with space that I can rent to practice and continue making my own personal projects. However, I would also love to work in a neon shop so that I can learn from professionals and further my skills. If I continued strengthening my expertise, I would love to take commission work, or someday be able to fill a gallery with my own personal work. A girl can only dream.

  • What advice would you give to people interested in making neon signs?

    If you are interested, know that you would be taking on a big commitment. It’s not easy and it takes a lot of time, practice, critical thinking, creativity, and a high pain tolerance while you learn (you will cut and burn yourself A LOT). You have to be able to persevere because it can be super discouraging at times. I spent 17 hours in the studio working on my meds project and when I went to put one of the units on the mount it broke. Neon has no sympathy for its creator, and if you let it get to you, neon will win. It’s not for everyone. If you are lucky enough to work with it, stick through it and give it a real shot because it is super rewarding.