Art of The Hollywood Backdrop at The Boca Raton Museum of Art
Barion McQueen
The first museum show dedicated to Hollywood’s painted backdrops, the grandest illusions ever created for the movies, makes its world premiere in South Florida (April 20, 2022 ‒ January 22, 2023) at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. Art of the Hollywood Backdrop: Cinema’s Creative Legacy honors the unsung heroes who created these monumental canvases for the camera, going back almost 100 years. These artists 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 magical portal that takes the terms “large-scale,” “immersive,” and “virtual reality” to a whole new level.
Some of the most iconic films of all time are in this immersive experience, that will also feature 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 galleries, including atmospheric sound effects related to the original movies, and to the scenic vistas.
These 22 scenic backdrops were made between 1938 and 1968, including: Singin’ in the Rain . . . the iconic Mount Rushmore scene from North by Northwest . . . Ben Hur’s Rome . . . the Von Trapp Family’s Austrian Alps from The Sound of Music . . . and Gene Kelly’s Paris street dance.
These American treasures were rescued from the studio lots, and saved from being lost forever by this passionate group of Hollywood insiders. These are some of the largest paintings ever created in the world.
North by Northwest (91′ x 30′), Mount Rushmore, MGM Studios (1959).
These rarely seen masterpieces were never meant to be viewed by the public this way — they were kept secret by the Hollywood Studios and were meant only for the eye of the camera lens, not for the human eye.
A film still from The Sound of Music, showing the actual location which was recreated with one of the iconic backdrops that will be seen by the public for the first time in this exhibition, 20th Century Fox (1965).
WATCH THE PREVIEW VIDEO BELOW:
The Museum will present a series of events and educational presentations for the community throughout the run of the exhibition. Learn more about this special programming at bocamuseum.org/visit/events.
