Prop designer for iconic Hollywood movies such as Star Trek opens exhibit in Warren
.jpg "Katelyn Amendolara-Russo, director of the Medici Museum of Art, and Meghan Reed, director of the Trumbull County Historical Society at the John Zabrucky art exhibit.")
Approximately 350 Mahoning Valley patrons attended the grand opening of John Zabrucky’s exhibit at the Medici Museum of Art in Warren in late January.
Hundreds of guests lined up to see real movie props and gadgets for some of the most well-known science fiction films in Hollywood for the last few decades, including Ghostbusters in 1984.
Inside the exhibit in Zabrucky’s hometown, rooms are filled with props from movies in the Marvel and D.C. Universe franchises like The Incredible Hulk and science-fiction films like Men in Black.
Zabrucky, a designer and co-founder of Modern Props, Inc., created hundreds of props featured prominently in Star Trek franchises like Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan in 1982 and Star Trek 2009, as well as Blade Runner and Total Recall.
Creating “Science Fiction and Hollywood: The Art of John Zabrucky”
Meghan Reed at the Trumbull County Historical Society joined forces with the Medici Museum to assemble “Science Fiction and Hollywood: The Art of John Zabrucky.”
“This is the first stop of a larger traveling exhibit we’re going to do, and it’s also the very first time that this collection has been open to the public since we accepted it in 2023,” said Reed. “We’re extremely grateful that the Medici is the first stop on this show; it was a perfect space. We’re so excited to launch it in our own community.”
Beth Carmichael, executive director at the Trumbull County Tourism Burea, connected Reed and Katelyn Amendolara-Russo, director of the Medici Museum of Art.
“It was a great collaboration to come together,” said Amendolara-Russo. “Our friendship started through this project, and I couldn’t be more grateful for Meghan and the ripple effect from just opening it. It’s something so different than what we’ve traditionally had.”
A major highlight of the Medici Museum of Art exhibit is “the most important device in the universe.”
The dual laser device designed by Zabrucky earned this title because it’s been featured in 100 films and TV series. Clips from movies are playing inside the exhibit so visitors can see how the prop was used in movies like Austin Powers and Star Trek.
“This about 15% of the whole collection. There’s a huge warehouse of props that we’ve been researching, cataloging and preserving,” said Reed. “We went through the first round and pulled out some of the heavy hitters that we knew we needed to have on display.”
Several community members volunteered their time to bring the exhibit to life, including Mike Hagyari at Media Impressions who installed all of the wall art graphics and descriptions for each installation.
“He was working beyond business hours, up late at night and he really dedicated his heart and soul to this project,” said Amendolara-Russo. “This non traditional art display was really fun and boosted everyone’s morale.”
Trumbull County Historical Society volunteers like Tim Boyer also worked hard to make the displays immersive and unique for visitors.
“Tim did all the AV displays, so if there’s a screen that can show something, Tim made that happen,” said Reed. “He’s a tech guy extraordinaire, and was here the same hours we were making sure that the exhibit came together and was engaging for the community.”
The Medici Museum of Art is open from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at 9350 East Market St. in Warren.
“Science Fiction and Hollywood: The Art of John Zabrucky” will be on display at the Medici until June 28.
Anyone interested in giving tours and volunteering in the gift shop at the Medici Museum of Art can call (330) 856-2120.
What’s next for the exhibit?
According to Reed, the opening of the Medici Museum of Art exhibit is just the start of a traveling exhibit across Ohio.
“Part of the show will be traveling to the Ohio Decorative Arts Center in Lancaster for a show they’re doing specifically about Star Trek and science fiction,” said Reed. “Then part of the show in the fall will be going to the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland for a show that they’re doing there on Ohio filmmakers.”
