Marc Chagall's painted costumes shine in new LACMA exhibit

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The artist Marc Chagall is well-known as a modern master of art, but few may know he had a parallel life designing for the stage.

A new eye-opening exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will change that.

"Chagall: Fantasies For The Stage" is making its debut at LACMA and should imbue visitors with a whole new appreciation for the artist.

"We actually thought this would be the perfect summer and exhibition for LACMA," said the museum's Senior Curator of Modern Art Stephanie Barron.

"It's a concentration on four productions that Marc Chagall did starting in 1942 to 1967."

Chagall hand-painted much of the work himself, so his style is easily recognizable. His images reflect Eastern European folklore with Jewish and Russian influences through a career that spanned 70 years.

LACMA has the striking set staged on a grand scale and its design meets with the approval of the artist's granddaughters. "He needed to transform whatever he was touching," said Meret and Bella Meyer.

As Chagall would have wanted it, music follows the visitors throughout the exhibit.

"Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage" opens to the public on Monday, July 31 and runs through August.