Joe Forbes, ’76 BFA Scenic Design has been selected as one of four recipients for this year’s  Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre.

The award was established in 1990 and are awarded annually to institutions, individuals and/or organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theatre, but are not eligible in any of the established Tony Award categories.

Forbes is the founder of 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, Joe also 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.