12 Jan 22nd-Jan 28th, 2026 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Other attention-grabbing Guyett signs were born in that era. In 1956, Guyett designed a monolithic sign for Bill Johnson’s Big Apple along Van Buren Street, topped with a longhorn bull’s head that was impossible to miss. Two years later, he revamped the octagonal logo of the now-defunct Valley National Bank, giving a glow-up to an eagle he once joked “looked like a sick chicken.” The redesign became a 35-foot-tall porcelain sign installed atop downtown Phoenix’s Professional Building. Powered by a one-horsepower motor, it was the world’s largest revolving sign at the time and loomed over the city’s skyline for more than a decade. It also graced the cover of advertising trade publication Sign of the Times and even briefly appeared in the opening sequence of “Psycho.” Mr. Lucky’s famous sign In the 1960s, Guyett’s work continued to get noticed. His soaring sign for the now- defunct Tempe nightclub JD’s won an award from General Electric. It set the stage for an even more iconic nightlife creation. In 1966, Phoenix businessmen Bob Sikora and George Xericos tapped Guyett to create a lively, jester-inspired sign for their glitzy, Vegas-style nightclub Mr. Lucky’s on Grand Avenue north of Indian School Road. “Vegas was really going back then, so there was talk at the Arizona Capitol about making Phoenix into another Vegas,” Joyce says. “They wanted some of that Vegas money, because people were passing through on the way there.” The Mr. Lucky’s sign became one of Guyett’s best-known works. It still turns heads today, even after falling into disrepair following the nightclub’s closure in 2008. “It’s one of the most prominent signs in the Valley. It sticks out. People who drive down Grand remember it and ask, ‘Where’s that sign?’” Shore says. “We’re still lucky to have that one, no pun intended.” ‘Phoenix history that will probably never be replicated’ Many of Guyett’s signs were built to be big and bold, a product of their time and the looser rules that governed midcentury Phoenix. They were built for a city on the go, designed to be impossible to ignore. That kind of scale no longer exists. Local historian Marshall Shore says modern signage laws in the Valley make Guyett’s work a relic of a different era, impossible to replace. “We have different signage codes now, so that’s why some of those signs have never come down,” Shore says. “If they were brought down to be repaired or something, they can’t put them back up. They’re gone forever.” Over the decades, most of Guyett’s signs have disappeared as businesses closed and the Valley developed. To Alison King, that impermanence is exactly what gives Guyett’s work its cultural weight. “It represents a very specific slice of Phoenix history that will probably never be replicated again,” King says. “It’s part of what makes these signs so precious and rare, so let’s keep them around for as long as we can. Since they’re not in excess right now, I don’t think it’s fair to call it visual pollution. I see them as cultural artifacts.” ‘He was a great dad’ As much as he’s remembered for his signs, Guyett’s work extended beyond those creations. He designed logos for now- defunct businesses like Tang’s Imports and Arizona Bank in the 1970s and for the then- Ramada-owned Renaissance Hotel chain in the 1980s. “He did really intricate little stuff and not just signs,” Joyce says. Guyett’s creativity also played a role in his home life. He often found time to paint in his spare time, Joyce recalls, including creating murals of Disney princesses on the walls of his daughters’ bedrooms. Later, when Joyce performed in local rock and pop bands, he designed their business cards and logos. “Whatever we needed, he would create for us,” Joyce says. “He was a great dad.” Guyett retired in 1991 and went on to teach art and painting classes. Late in life, his work found a new audience as an influx of Valley residents discovered Phoenix’s midcentury past. In 2019, he was inducted into the Arizona Sign Association’s Hall of Fame. Bolek says Guyett’s work still stands out, though not because of its scale. “As you drive around town, you’ll still see some of the stuff Glen has created and it still looks fresh and modern,” Bolek says. “It’s distinctive and it didn’t feel trendy.” Joyce says her father was always amazed by the affection his work has gotten. All the while, he remained humble. “He was always fascinated that people were fascinated with his signs,” she says. Signing Off from p 11 The Valley National Bank sign designed by Glen Guyett that loomed over downtown Phoenix from 1958 to 1972. (Susan Arreola Postcards/ Phoenix Public Library)
