Read Perspective magazine’s feature, The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop: A Museum Exhibition Like No Other, written by exhibition curators Thomas A. Walsh and Karen L. Maness. The article chronicles the creation of the Boca Raton Museum of Art exhibition, which introduced museum audiences to Hollywood’s scenic artists and the monumental painted backdrops they created during the studio era.

Drawing on the Hollywood Backdrop Collection, the feature follows the development of the Art Directors Guild Archives, the Backdrop Recovery Project, and the preservation efforts that saved hundreds of historic backdrops from destruction. It also highlights how collaborations among J.C. Backings, Sony Pictures, the Art Directors Guild, and The University of Texas at Austin helped transform these production tools into recognized works of American art.

Illustrated with examples from North by Northwest, Ben-Hur, The Sound of Music, Singin’ in the Rain,  An American in Paris, National Velvet, and other productions, the article demonstrates how scenic artists shaped the visual worlds of classic Hollywood while preserving an important chapter of film history.