Helicline Fine Art presents Showstoppers: the art of stage and screen, a dynamic new exhibition celebrating nearly a century of performance as seen through the eyes of some of the most influential artists and designers of the 20th century. On view from March 6 through May 10, 2026, the exhibition brings together more than three dozen works that capture the spectacle, emotion, and cultural impact of live theatre, film, dance, opera, and popular entertainment. Spanning the 1920s through the 1990s, Showstoppers features paintings,costume and set design drawings, illustrations, sculpture, modernist compositions inspired by performance, that illuminate how visual artists helped shape iconic moments on Broadway, in Hollywood, and beyond.

The exhibition draws from a wide range of performance traditions - Broadway and musical theatre, classic cinema, opera, ballet and modern dance, nightclub culture, and circus - underscoring the enduring dialogue between fine art and entertainment.

Among the celebrated productions represented are Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, My Fair Lady, Funny Girl, Sweet Charity, West Side Story, The King and I, Bye Bye Birdie, The Wiz, Anything Goes, Opèra De Paris, South Pacific, The Pajama Game, Follies, and the legendary nightlife of Studio 54, among others. Artists featured in Showstoppers include beloved American and European modernists alongside some of the most influential designers ever to work on stage and screen. Highlights include works by Boris Aronson, Cecil Beaton, Leon Bibel, William Gropper, Edith Head, Al Hirschfeld, Mervyn Jules, Hilary Knight, Gaston Lachaise, Bob Mackie, Jo Mielziner, Anton Refregier, Irene Sharaff, Yves Saint Laurent, Tony Walton, Miles White, Richard Whorf, and others—many of them Tony® and Oscar® Award–winning visionaries whose designs helped define entire eras of performance.

“While I have operated Helicline Fine Art since 2008, my lifelong professional passion has been running a Times Square–based communications firm,”said Keith Sherman, co-founder and proprietor of Helicline Fine Art. “From the first day of my career, I’ve worked in theatre, film, music, dance, books, and major cultural events. Some of the artists in this exhibition were friends—and even clients. These works are deeply meaningful to me, and I believe they will resonate powerfully with anyone who loves entertainment and the arts.”

Many works in the exhibition come from private collections and are rarely seen publicly. Opportunities to acquire authentic, historically grounded material from the golden eras of theatre and film - particularly at this level of quality - are increasingly scarce.

Showstoppers speaks to collectors and institutions who understand that great performance does not disappear when the curtain falls. It lives on in the art that shaped it.