A little known and often overlooked artwork located within UpDoNA’s borders is a neon art piece titled “Incomplete Square.” Pioneering light artist Stephen Antonakos completed Incomplete Square for Lawrence Street in 1982, dedicating the work that same year. Conceived during a pivotal period in his career, the piece exemplifies Antonakos’s deliberate strategy of placing monumental neon installations in inconspicuous or unexpected settings, an approach he would continue to explore in later decades. “Every work of public art is a responsibility that implies a great trust between the artist and the community,” Antonakos said.
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Incomplete Square for Lawrence Street is owned by the Residences at Lawrence Street (1350 Lawrence Street). The illuminated, 52’ x 52’ partial square dominates the plaza between the residential tower at 1350 Lawrence St. and the adjacent office building at 1380 Lawrence St. The work belongs to Antonakos’ celebrated Neon and Geometry series (1973–2011), which defined his mature public art practice through the disciplined use of minimalist geometric forms and luminous color. Incomplete Square for Lawrence Street stands as the second-earliest surviving example of this body of work, marking a critical stage in the artist’s evolution from gallery-based neon exhibits to large-scale architectural installations.
The owners of the piece recently applied for inclusion of Incomplete Square for Lawrence Street on the State Register of Historic Properties, the application shepherded by Todd Matuszewicz. The State Preservation Review approved that request unanimously on January 16, 2026, and referred the nomination to the Board of the Colorado Historical Society, which on January 22, 2026, voted to include Incomplete Square for Lawrence Street on the State Register. [2026 is the 100th Anniversary of the artist’s birth!] The application for inclusion on the State Register noted that “Its quiet restraint and dynamic presence demonstrate Antonakos’s mastery of neon as a fine-art medium, redefining a material long associated with commercial signage into one capable of architectural and spiritual expression. The sculpture’s deliberate incompleteness invites viewers to complete the form through perception and movement, merging visual and experiential space.”
Over the years, Incomplete Square for Lawrence Street has fallen into disrepair, and only partially lights up. With its addition to the State Register of Historic Places, the owners of the art piece hope to find avenues for fundraising that will help restore this work to its original grandeur. The UpDoNA Arts & Beautification Committee has become involved with this restoration. I became aware of Incomplete Square for Lawrence Street through UpDoNA Board Member Jenn Kellison, who introduced me to Mr. Matuszewicz. Serendipity! Although our Committee has focused in its first few years on commissioning new artworks in Upper Downtown, our mission also is focused on the preservation and restoration of existing artworks within our borders. Supporting Incomplete Square for Lawrence Street certainly furthers that mission.
With grants and other sources of funding, Mr. Matuszewicz and The Residences at Lawrence Street hope to restore Incomplete Square for Lawrence Street to its original glory. We encourage UpDoNA members to check out this artwork. Spend some time with it, day or night. In the courtyard between the Residences at Lawrence Street and the neighboring office building is a courtyard where you can sit and enjoy this piece. Who knows, you might encounter Mr. Matuszewicz, and he loves to talk about this work and his neon expertise! The supporters of the restoration of this piece have a fundraising site: Save a NEON Masterpiece and Preserve a Colorado Historic Artwork by famous artist Stephen Antonakos!
Thumbnail Attribution: Jackie Bunce
