The Neon’s side wall along East Fifth Street previously was painted purple but was blank. The theater is at 130 E. Fifth St., near the Oregon District business strip.
Cincinnati artist Jenny Ustick has created a new mural depicting film reels and a marquee with the quote, “Films can change the world,” with the name Julia Reichert underneath.
Reichert, a Yellow Springs resident, won an Oscar in 2020, along with her husband and film-making partner Steve Bognar, for “American Factory,” a documentary about the creation of the Fuyao Glass plant in Moraine.
Reichert, who taught film at Wright State University for 28 years, died in late 2022 after years of battling cancer.
The Neon hosted a retrospective of Reichert’s work a year before her death and honored her legacy last month with a local premiere of “Julia’s Stepping Stones,” a movie outlining her filmmaking career told in her own words.
Jonathan McNeal, manager of the Neon, said Reichert was a dear friend and a teacher and a mentor.
He said the new mural is one of several that are going up on buildings around downtown Dayton.
This artwork was part of the WHOA Mural project, which has created striking new murals on prominent buildings including the Brightside music and event venue and the Avant Garde on East Third Street.
McNeal said the Neon’s new mural makes it very clear that the building is a movie theater. Some people are unaware that downtown has a movie theater, even walking or driving by the Neon without knowing what it is.
The Neon also is expanding its patio footprint to allow for larger gatherings. The existing patio is going to grow from 650 to 875 square feet.
The Neon also is getting a new “upper” patio, or terrace patio, adjacent to the existing outdoor space. The new patio will be about 720 square feet.
The Neon is installing a canopy over the lower patio and also is investing in an outdoor sound system and new lighting and furniture.
The patio often has a portable bar.
Patrons can hang out on the patio or grab a to-go drink that they can carry around and enjoy on the street, as part of downtown Dayton’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) program.
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