The world of Mary Blair is one of color and whimsy. Her fingerprints are found throughout Disney parks and films, though for years she lived in the shadows of her male colleagues. Named a Disney Legend in 1991, Blair’s work has now garnered a devoted following as more and more come to recognize the genius behind the woman dubbed “Walt Disney’s favorite artist.” In celebration of her stunning career, here are five facts that everyone should know about Mary Blair.
1. The California Watercolor Society
After graduating from the Chouinard Art Institute in 1933, Blair became a member of the legendary California Watercolor Society. The group, founded in 1920, featured artists who focused on the wide expanses of the western United States. Blair’s work from that time looks as though it could have been taken from the pages of a Steinbeck novel, featuring scenes ranging from Okie camps to raucous beach parties.
2. The South American Goodwill Tour
Blair worked briefly with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and the Ub Iwerks studio before joining Disney. In 1941, she set out with Walt and Lillian Disney and fifteen other Disney employees on a trip to South America. The trip was part of a government sponsored “goodwill tour” as part of the Good Neighbor Program designed to combat Nazi influence in the area. The group became known as “El Grupo” during their ten week stay.
During the trip, Blair developed what came to be known as her “explosion of color” style and her resultant watercolors led Walt Disney to assign her a position as an Art Supervisor on the films Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros.
3. Animated Features
From 1943 to 1953, Blair worked on a number of iconic Disney films. During this time period her credits include Alice In Wonderland, Cinderella, Make Mine Music, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Song of the South, and Peter Pan. She also worked on a number of animated short films including Susie The Little Blue Coupe and The Little House.
4. Commercial Work and Little Golden Books
After Peter Pan, Blair resigned from Disney and went on to work on a variety of projects including commercial work for products like Baker’s Instant Chocolate, Dutch Boy Paints, Hanes Underwear, Nabisco, Pepsodent, Maxwell House, and Pall Mall. She also contributed to the Little Golden Book series, illustrating titles like I Can Fly, Baby’s House, The Up and Down Book, and The Golden Book of Little Verses.
5. “it’s a small world” and the Disney Parks
Though she had officially left Disney, Walt asked Blair to contribute to his work for the UNICEF “it’s a small world” Attraction for the 1964 World’s Fair. Blair is credited with creating the color scheme for the attraction, and her artistic style can be felt throughout. The scenery in “it’s a small world” clearly draws from her playful use of shapes. The iconic dolls throughout the attraction are nearly identical to children Blair illustrated for a series of Hallmark Disney cards in the 1940s, and she was directly responsible for designing the geometric facade of the attraction (though it was actually Imagineer Alice Davis who designed the outfits of the dolls themselves, drawing heavy inspiration from Blair’s artwork).
After working on “it’s a small world” Blair contributed murals to Disney parks on attractions such as Adventures Thru Inner Space and the Tomorrowland Promenade, and the towering 90-foot Grand Concourse mural that Guests can see in Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Her stye of artwork also inspired the fiesta scene of “El Rio del Tiempo” (now “Gran Fiesta Tour”) in the Mexico Pavilion of Epcot, though the park did not open until four years after Blair’s death.
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