Nate Sheaffer: The Craftsman Reviving New Orleans' Fading Neon Legacy

Master Artisan Preserves a Dying Art Form While Creating Luminous New Pieces

Neon signs have long served as the visual heartbeat of New Orleans, casting their distinctive glow across iconic establishments and streetscapes throughout the city. Today, that ancient craft faces an uncertain future—but one artisan is determined to keep the tradition alive.

Since establishing Big Sexy Neon in 2020, Nate Sheaffer has emerged as a leading force in preserving the city's historic luminous signs while simultaneously crafting bold original works. Operating from his recently relocated Metairie workshop, the self-taught craftsman restores century-old glass tubing and creates eye-catching contemporary pieces using the same techniques employed since neon's discovery in 1898.

A Dangerous Craft

Working with neon demands both precision and courage. Sheaffer operates alongside high-voltage transformers, argon and krypton canisters, mercury beads, and welding torches—equipment powerful enough to cause serious injury. "I should be dead," he remarks candidly, recounting an incident where electrocution dislocated his shoulder. The hazards extend beyond electrical danger; managing historic landmarks in New Orleans frequently triggers contentious public disputes.

Fighting for a Lost Icon

The struggle to preserve the city's neon heritage played out vividly in the case of Tujague's restaurant. When the establishment—New Orleans' second-oldest dining venue—relocated several blocks along Decatur Street in 2020, its massive historic neon sign faced removal. The decision sparked outrage among preservation advocates, who mobilized online campaigns and social media pressure. Their efforts succeeded: private donors funded the sign's restoration, and Sheaffer carefully refurbished it for permanent display at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

From Pennsylvania to the Neon Capital

Sheaffer's path to becoming New Orleans' premier neon artisan began in Pennsylvania, where he grew up as the youngest of eight children in a household that was "financially poor but educationally rich." His father worked as a machinist for a railway equipment manufacturer, instilling in young Nate a deep appreciation for repair and creation. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sheaffer initially pursued physics before switching to the arts, where professor Jerry Noe introduced him to American neon craftsmanship.

After operating neon shops across North Carolina for decades, Sheaffer made the decisive move to New Orleans—following a woman he'd met, he admits with amusement. "It didn't hurt that this city has incredible neon history," he notes.

A Sustainable Art Form Under Threat

Neon's story mirrors the city's own luminous character. The noble gas was first discovered in 1898, with sign makers beginning to use it in tubes shortly thereafter. The technique remains essentially unchanged more than a century later. "It's totally sustainable," Sheaffer emphasizes. "I can reuse everything I need from old signs." While craftspeople can employ various noble gases—argon, krypton, xenon, and helium—neon became the industry standard.

New Orleans once rivaled Las Vegas in neon density. By the 1950s, Canal Street alone displayed six hundred signs within a few blocks. Yet that dominance has faded. Learning the neon craft requires roughly a decade of study to reach proficiency, and few practitioners offer apprenticeships anymore. Since the late 1990s, Chinese manufacturers have dominated beer sign production, flooding the market with cheaper LED alternatives. While economical and quick to produce, LEDs fail catastrophically. Quality neon signs, by contrast, endure for a century or longer with proper maintenance.

Art Born from Reclaimed Objects

Beyond restoration work, Sheaffer channels his storytelling instincts into personal creations that blend found ephemera—reclaimed wood, vintage toys, historical advertisements—with neon accents. His work has been exhibited nationally, reflecting a broader resurgence in neon appreciation. Yet the long-term outlook for the medium remains uncertain.

The Creative Process

At Big Sexy Neon, surrounded by butcher-paper sketches covering the workshop floor, Sheaffer demonstrates his meticulous technique. He heats, blows, and bends glass tubing by hand. A critical aging stage requires liquid mercury drops to achieve desired colors before the final attachment of jumper cables—the very tools that once nearly claimed his life. The result is pure luminescence, achieved through methods unchanged since the Edwardian era.

Sheaffer accepts commissions for custom pieces, transforming clients' concepts into glowing reality. One such project involved a 1930s toy ray gun, which Sheaffer mounted on a dark base and outfitted with brilliant red and blue neon. When activated, the installation erupts with electrifying vitality—a playful reminder of neon's unique ability to transform ordinary objects into something magical.