‘Houses to Homes’ Invites Visitors to Explore the Inner Workings of Theatre and Set Design

From the structure of the theatre house to the warm interiors of homes on stage and off, the exhibition celebrates architecture and interior design

SAN ANTONIO (Sept. 18, 2025) – Experience an intimate, behind-the-scenes look into the world of theatre construction and production with “Houses to Homes,” on view Oct. 15, 2025-Jan. 18, 2026 at McNay Art Museum. The exhibition features 47 artworks from The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts that highlight historic and contemporary theatre alongside 18 objects from the wider McNay collection. About a quarter of the works in the exhibition are on view for the first time.

“‘Houses to Homes’ shines a light on theatre production with art, renderings and sketches that capture the relationship between architecture and scenic design,” said Remus Moore, The Tobin Theatre Arts Fund assistant curator. “Assembling rarely seen artworks from The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts and works from the McNay Art Museum collection, the exhibition showcases how designers constructed grand theatrical venues as well as warm, domestic spaces.”

“Houses to Homes” pairs works by architects and scenic designers, who create the theaters and the sets within them, with artists who turn those same spaces into lived-in domestic interiors, from cozy bedrooms to inviting kitchens. The exhibition is divided into two sections. The first section, Houses, depicts the structure of the theatre, from the building to the individual set pieces on the stage. Each of the four walls of the gallery focus on a separate theme: Historic Theatres, Maquette Components, Modern Theatres and Lighting Design. Historic Theatres includes some of the oldest works of art in the collection and offers a look at theatre buildings and designers that pre-date the 20th century, including early depictions of the famed Paris Opera House and the Teatro Farnese in Parma, Italy and the ancient Roman South Theatre and Odeon of Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, Italy.

Maquette Components and Modern Theaters include two-and three-dimensional drafts used by scenic designers and  provides insight into famous stage productions such as “The Mother of Us All,” “Richard III,” “Cosi fan Tutte,” “The Beggar’s Opera,” “The Threepenny Opera,” “The Seagull,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” “La Traviata” and “Pygmalion.” Lighting Design showcases works by renowned designer Arch Lauterer.

Homes captures the more intimate side of interior spaces with four sections: Passages to the Exterior, Kitchens, Living Rooms and Bedrooms. The works on view masterfully show how an edifice can be transformed into a domicile. Artists and designers included in this section are Mary Cassatt, John Koch, Paul Cadmus, Robert Indiana, Jo Mielziner, Eugene Berman, Ming Cho Lee, Tony Straiges and Isamu Noguchi. Passages to the Exterior showcases works of porches and gardens that act as a barrier to the outside world. Among the many works showcasing exteriors, “Patio of McNay Residence” (1930) by Mary Bonner (American, 1887-1935) offers visitors an opportunity to see the home as it was more than 90 years ago. Kitchens is a tribute to the place where people nourish their families and includes works such as “View of interior with fireplace” by Gaspare Galliari (Italian, 1761-1823) while Living Rooms depicts the heart of the home where families gather with works such as in “Still Life, Dusk, Setauket” (1963), where painter John Koch (American, 1909-1978) brings viewers into his living room. Bedrooms features spaces of rest, from the grandest palace to the humblest stable and includes Paul Cadmus’ “The Nap” (1952) and Mary Cassatt’s “The Coiffure” (ca. 1891).

“By bringing together two- and three-dimensional works of art from both The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts and the wider McNay collection, ‘Houses to Homes’ highlights the beauty in the buildings and spaces surrounding us every day,” said René Paul Barilleaux, the McNay’s head of curatorial affairs. “The exhibition reveals how a simple building or space can be transformed into a lived-in home filled with warmth and life and is a testament to how art can truly reflect where we live.”

“Houses to Homes” is organized for the McNay Art Museum by Remus Moore, The Tobin Theatre Arts Fund assistant curator, The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts. This exhibition is a program of The Tobin Theatre Arts Fund.

Images available here.

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About McNay Art Museum
The McNay Art Museum engages a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the visual arts. Built in the 1920s by artist and educator Marion Koogler McNay, the Spanish Colonial Revival residence became the site of Texas’ first modern art museum when it opened in 1954. Today, 200,000 visitors a year enjoy works by modern masters including Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Joan Mitchell, Alice Neel, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The 45,000-square-foot Jane & Arthur Stieren Center for Exhibitions, designed by internationally renowned French architect Jean-Paul Viguier, features major exhibitions annually. The 25 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds include sculptures by Willie Cole, Robert Indiana, Luis A. Jiménez Jr., Alejandro Martín, George Rickey, Joel Shapiro, Kiki Smith, Tom Wesselmann and others. For more information about the McNay, visit www.mcnayart.org.

The McNay is open Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m.