Hollywood’s Most Prolific Art Comes to Boca Raton

The first museum show dedicated to Hollywood’s painted backdrops—the grandest illusions ever created for the movies—will arrive at the Boca Raton Museum of Art April 20. “Art of the Hollywood Backdrop: Cinema’s Creative Legacy” honors the unsung heroes who created these monumental canvases for the camera and were the backbone of the film industry. The exhibition was originated by the Boca Raton Museum of Art and is co-curated by Thomas A. Walsh and Karen L. Maness, who played pivotal roles among a group of passionate Hollywood insiders to salvage these American treasures. The result in the museum’s galleries is a portal that takes the terms “large-scale,” “immersive,” and “virtual reality” to new heights.

“This exhibition of movie backdrops is not to be missed. These monumental paintings were essential to moviemaking for almost a century, and were never meant to be seen by the public with the naked eye. Having this rare opportunity to experience these American masterpieces up close is long overdue,” said Leonard Maltin, the renowned film critic, historian, and author.

This exhibition of 22 scenic backdrops, made for the movies between 1938 and 1968, celebrates an art form nearly forgotten. This showcase is a deserved moment in the spotlight for the dozens of unidentified studio artists. Their uncredited craftsmanship made scenes of Mount Rushmore, Ben Hur’s Rome, the Von Trapp Family’s Austrian Alps, and Gene Kelly’s Paris street dance possible. The show’s immersive components include interactive video reels created in Hollywood specifically for this exhibition, telling the stories behind each backdrop. Soundscapes have been engineered to surround visitors in the museum, including atmospheric sound effects related to the original movies, and to the scenic vistas.

“It is miraculous that these historic monumental paintings were not lost forever, as so many Hollywood treasures have disappeared. The concept for this show had its genesis with a CBS Sunday Morning segment that called attention to the campaign to preserve scenic backdrops that had laid rolled up in the basement of MGM’s studios,” said Irvin Lippman, the executive director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art. “Lynne Coakley, Karen L. Maness, and Thomas A. Walsh have played a significant role in preserving this inventory from Hollywood’s golden age. Their vision and partnership with the Boca Raton Museum of Art made this exhibition possible.”

“Art of the Hollywood Backdrop: Cinema’s Creative Legacy” will be on view through January 22, 2023. Learn more about the upcoming exhibition here.