Born in Yardley, PA. Art director and production designer who entered American film with 1979's HEAD OVER HEELS. Other notable credits include: (as art director) THE STAR CHAMBER (1983), SWING SHIFT (also prod. designer) and BEST DEFENSE (both 1984), THE COLOR PURPLE (1985) and VIOLETS ARE BLUE (1986, also prod. designer); (as production designer) THE LOST BOYS (1987), BEETLEJUICE and THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST (both 1988), GHOSTBUSTERS II (1989), JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (both 1990), GRAND CANYON (1991), BATMAN RETURNS (1992), WOLF (1994), A LITTLE PRINCESS (1995), THE BIRDCAGE (1996), MEN IN BLACK (1997), PRIMARY COLORS (1998), WILD WILD WEST (1999), WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM? (2000), MEN IN BLACK II (2002) and LAND OF THE LOST (scheduled for 2009). Barry Sonnenfeld, the director of MEN IN BLACK, told Welch he should try directing. Welch then directed episodes of two television shows produced by Sonnenfeld -- "Secret Agent Man" (2000) and "The Tick" (2001). Welch discovered that he not only enjoyed the work, but had a flair for it, and made his feature film directing debut soon after with DR. SEUSS' THE CAT IN THE HAT (2003).  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration 1985: THE COLOR PURPLE - Art Direction (w. J. Michael Riva)  Nominated for Achievement in Art Direction 1995: A LITTLE PRINCESS - Art Direction  Nominated for Achievement in Art Direction 1996: THE BIRDCAGE - Art Direction  Nominated for Achievement in Art Direction 1997: MEN IN BLACK - Art Direction 4 nominations