Joseph Forbes

Upon graduating from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, with a BFA in Scene Design, Joseph Forbes moved to New York to attend classes at Lester Polakov's Studio and Forum of Stage Design.
Forbes became a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 in 1979, and began his professional career at Nolans Scenery Studios where he painted several iconic Broadway productions including Annie, Cats, A Chorus Line, and Evita to name a few. In 1994, Forbes founded Scenic Art Studios, Inc. which has become the premiere scene painting studio for Broadway Scenery.
Since its inception, the company has created backdrops, sculptures, and painted built scenery for more than 350 Broadway productions. Productions include, Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Hello Dolly, A Bronx Tale, School of Rock, Beetlejuice, and Beautiful. In an effort to share his love for scene painting, Joseph founded The Studio and Forum of Scenic Arts in 2004, a not-for-profit school, where he still enjoys being an instructor.
It is the studio's mission to teach the traditional skills of scene painting, while incorporating new materials and techniques. His passion for teaching also lead him to Purchase College, where he was a Lecturer in Theatre Design/Technology for 12 years.