The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop: A Museum Exhibition Like No Other

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 More »

Discover the laborious painting process behind Hollywood’s forgotten film backdrops

Read It’s Nice That’s feature, “Discover the Laborious Painting Process Behind Hollywood’s Forgotten Film Backdrops,” highlighting Art of the Hollywood Backdrop: Cinema’s Creative Legacy at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. The article introduces readers to the monumental scenic paintings that shaped Hollywood filmmaking while exploring the artists, techniques, and More »

Scenic Artist Oral History Project: A heritage explored and recovered

Scenic Artist Oral History Project: A Heritage Explored and Recovered The Scenic Artist Oral History Project preserves the voices and experiences of Hollywood scenic artists. Karen L. Maness and Richard M. Isackes wrote this article for the November/December 2014 issue of Perspective. It highlights the artists, teachers, and traditions that More »

Preserving a Legacy: Backdrop Recovery Project

Preserving a Legacy Preserving a Legacy is a feature published in the January/February 2018 issue of Perspective: The Journal of the Art Directors Guild. Written by Thomas Walsh and Karen Maness, the article documents the creation of the Backdrop Recovery Project and the effort to preserve historic Hollywood backdrops for More »

How 200 historic Hollywood backdrops were saved from the dumpster

For Hollywood Backdrops, a Happy Ending The Los Angeles Times article “For Hollywood Backdrops, a Happy Ending” by Mary McNamara tells the story of how the Art Directors Guild’s Backdrop Recovery Project saved more than 200 historic Hollywood backdrops from disposal. Production designer Tom Walsh, JC Backings president Lynne Coakley, More »