Scenic Artist Michael Denering will be honored in February with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Art Directors Guild.

Denering is best known for his creative painting of artwork for Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Toys, Die Hard, Batman Returns, Jurassic Park and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

The honors stem from the Scenic, Title & Graphic Artists (STG) and will be presented at the 27^th Annual ADG Awards. The ceremony also honors winners in 14 categories of production design and will be held at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in the Wilshire Grand Ballroom. This is the first of four Lifetime Achievement Awards to be announced by the Art Directors Guild. 

“Michael Denering is what his colleagues have referred to as a ‘dynamic’ scenic artist,” said Clint Schultz, STG Council Chair. “From his beginnings painting scenery at CBS Television City to his many years at Warner Brothers Studios, Mike’s career as a filmmaker has seen his murals and backings appear in over 100 films. Additionally, Mike’s commercial work outside of Hollywood spans the globe. I originally met Mike when I joined the STG council in 2015. His work as a teacher and insight into our craft’s history paved the way for many members to succeed within this industry and the ADG. It’s an honor to present Michael with the Scenic, Title & Graphics Lifetime Achievement award. Michael continues to champion and inspire scenic artists of the next generation.”

Honorees for Cinematic Imagery Award, Lifetime Achievement Awards, Hall of Fame and the William Cameron Menzies Award will be announced at a later date.

Michael Denering’s work as a scenic artist has graced productions in television, motion pictures, theater, and studios during his 42-year varied career.  Among many other films and TV shows, Michael worked on Dennis the Menace, Kong: Skull Island, Hoffa, Django Unchained, American Horror Story, Glee, Grace & Frankie, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Archie Bunker’s Place, The Carol Burnett Show, Three’s Company, Wild Wild West, Angels and Demons and Coming to America.

For 26 years, Denering worked at Warner Bros. in various capacities. He moved on to Fox Studios and worked on outdoor stage murals for such movies as Young Frankenstein, The Seven Year Itch, Family Guy, The Oxbow Incident, The Simpsons and Star Wars. In addition, Denering painted scenery for the Mark Taper Forum, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Ahmanson Theater in Downtown L.A. His beautiful backdrops grace Disney’s Epcot Center and several plays and operas.