Born in Pueblo, Colorado, Bill Jekel grew up in Los Angeles and studied art at UCLA and the Art Center School. He began his career as an apprentice scenic artist at MGM Studios. While studying law, he frequently joined George Gibson, Emil Kosa Jr., and other studio artists on en More »
A native of Los Angeles, Albert Londraville began his formal art training after returning from World War II, studying under Romanian American portrait and landscape painter Theodore Lukits, whose initial fame came from his paintings of glamorous actresses of the silent film era. Lukits was also a muralist and founder More »
Born in Hollywood, Don MacDonald grew up in Downey, CA, and always knew he wanted to be an artist. He studied art in high school and at Cerritos College and interviewed with J.C. Backings at 23. Introduced through 20th Century Fox scenic artist Gavin Cowie, MacDonald found himself in the More »
Born into a theatrical scenic artist’s family in Chicago, Bob Oberbeck began working at MGM in 1937. He was a mapmaker in George Gibson’s Marine unit during World War II. Artist Chris Coakley recalls, “Oberbeck was a layer technician, and he liked to get vibration going by [moving] back and More »
Idaho-born oil painter, watercolorist, and top MGM scenic artist Clark Provins painted for decades as a lead scenic artist at MGM. Counted as one of MGM’s most influential scenic artists, his credits for the studio included The Wizard of Oz (1939), The Student Prince (1954), and Oklahoma! (1955). In 1968 More »
Born in Manila, Philippines, art director and motion picture scenic artist Benjamin Resella found his way into Hollywood when he was headhunted by Local 816 business agent Clayton Thompson from the San Francisco Opera to work with John H. Coakley to solve a perspective question on a façade for 20th More »