Early Career Coakley came from a family of artists and studied at Chouinard Art Institute. One of George Gibson’s youngest MGM apprentices, Coakley, worked at MGM from 1936 until 1953 and became one of Hollywood’s most influential scenic artists. Coakley departed MGM to lead 20th Century Fox’s Scenic Art Studio More »
Early Career Michael Denering is one of the film industry’s leading Journeymen Scenic Artists. He has been a member of the Scenic Artists’ Union since 1978. During more than forty years in the motion picture industry, he has painted murals and backdrops for Oscar-winning and nominated films. His résumé includes More »
Early Career Former Marine Jim Dobson joined MGM’s scenic studio during its later years after being hired by George Gibson. He developed his painting skills by studying and replicating Duncan Spencer‘s backdrops from MGM’s inventory. As a result, Dobson built a strong foundation in the techniques of Hollywood scenic art. More »
Wilbur and Warren Ferrell The Wilbur and Warren Ferrell story is unique in Hollywood scenic art because the identical twin brothers built nearly every stage of their careers together. Rather than becoming known as individual artists, they established a reputation as a painting team whose collaboration took them to nearly More »
Joseph Francuz Los Angeles native Joseph Francuz knew he wanted to become an artist as a child and fulfilled that goal early in life. After graduating from Otis Art Institute in June 1975, he began working as a scenic artist by September. One year later, Francuz joined J.C. Backings, where More »
Jaroslav “Jerry” Gebr Born in a small village west of Prague, Jaroslav “Jerry” Gebr (1926–2013) combined classical European art training with more than five decades of work in the American motion picture industry. He studied at the Academy of Art in Prague from 1941 to 1943, where he became classmates More »
George Gibson Scottish-born scenic artist George Gibson (1885–2001) transformed scenic painting at MGM Studios and helped define the visual language of Hollywood’s Golden Age. After training at the Edinburgh College of Art, apprenticing under master scenic artist William Glover, and working at Joseph Harker’s celebrated paint studio, Gibson immigrated to More »
Early Life and Artistic Training Clem Hall (1913–2003) was a British-born scenic artist, portrait painter, watercolorist, and later Imagineer whose career spanned more than four decades at MGM, Paramount Pictures, and Walt Disney Imagineering. Trained as an artist in England before continuing his education at Art Center College of Design More »