1. PERSPECTIVE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 15
HOW DOES A BOOK BEGIN?
by Karen Maness, Scenic Artist, Fine Artist, Author
How does a book project begin? Sometimes by design
but as often by serendipity. In 2012, Karen Maness
who was a Commissioner for United States Institute
for Theatre Technology (USITT), was putting together a
program for the organization’s national conference in
Long Beach and was interested in presenting information
about design and craft opportunities in the entertainment
industry. She approached the Art Directors Guild who
suggested that among others, she contact Scenic Artists
Michael Denering, Pat Degreve and John Moffitt, who
could provide an insider’s look into the private world of
the Scenic Artist working in Hollywood film and television.
What they had to say was revelatory and hinted at a
fascinating untold narrative long overlooked by those
who document the history of the industry. Shortly after
the conference, the ADG approached Karen Maness,