The Bass Concert Hall stage turns gallery for your visit mid-century Hollywood. See twelve never-before publicly displayed historic paintings that reveal the lost art of Golden Age Hollywood.

In 2012, the Art Director’s Guild (ADG) Archives began the Backdrop Recovery Project, an effort to preserve the legacy of Hollywood’s motion picture scenic artists. This resulted in the preservation of 207 historic backings, creating the world’s most comprehensive archive of Hollywood scenic art history. ADG donated these historic drops to museums, motion picture archives, and academic institutions, including The University of Texas at Austin through the Texas Performing Arts scenic studio. Texas Performing Arts now houses 50 MGM backdrops used to educate the next generation of scenic artists for stage and screen.

The exhibition runs February 11 through March 21 and is open by reservation for one-hour long visits on Thursdays through Sundays. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for non-University of Texas at Austin students of any age. Tickets are free for UT students, faculty and staff, healthcare professionals, essential workers, and military. Safety protocols including limited capacity, contactless entry, and masks will be enforced.