Most people probably do not know this name, but know her art without even realizing they have looked at I and admired it for years! Mary Blair was one of Walt Disney’s favorite artists and this month Disney is celebrating Women’s History Month so as I was on It’s A Small World yesterday, I thought it would be nice to write about this incredible artist and all she accomplished in a time where animation and art were dominated by men in the Walt Disney Company. She undoubtedly made her mark and it has stood the test of time!
Who Was Mary Blair
Mary Blair was an American artist born in Oklahoma in 1911 and ended up in California in the early 1920’s. She attended Chouinard Art Institute on scholarship and she would eventually become a member of the California School of Watercolor where she was known as an imaginative colorist and designer.
Mary joined the Walt Disney Company in 1940 where she worked a little on artwork for Dumbo, an early version of Lady and the Tramp and a second version of Fantasia that would not be released until the late 90’s. She left the studio briefly in 1941 but the returned and went on a tour of South America with Walt and Lillian Disney through the Good Neighbor Policy of President Roosevelt. You can actually watch a great documentary about this whole trip on Disney+ called El Grupo. It was really well done and super interesting to see how much Walt Disney was involved with global relations at this time in history.
It was on this trip that Walt Disney became a fan of Mary Blair’s art work and named her art supervisor for the two animated feature films that came out of that trip, Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros!
Mary Blair’s Early Disney Career
Mary Blair started working on major films in 1943 and would work in this role for Disney for over a decade! She worked on films like Fun and Fancy Free, Song of the South, So Dear To My Heart. Mary is also credited with the color styling of Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland and Peter Pan.
After Peter Pan was finished, Mary Blair resigned from Disney and worked freelance jobs. She did everything from advertising campaigns for major food companies to illustrating Little Golden Books that some of which are still in print today! Mary Blair even created sets for Radio City Music Halls Christmas Spectacular!
Walt Calls Her Back
Walt loved Mary Blairs style and imaginative way of coloring her work. When work began on the It’s A Small World attraction, originally made for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, Walt had to have Mary Blair back! The ride would eventually be moved to Disneyland and then recreated in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
If you have ever been on this ride, you have enjoyed Mary Blair’s style and art! She had her hands on everything from the colors to the design to the animatronics and their costumes. I know this isn’t everyones favorite ride but I truly appreciate all the colors and unique designs. here is an attention to detail in this ride that you don’t always see now, every little dolls costume is designed exactly to match the country or region they are in and the sets around them. If you can get over the song being stuck in your head all day after you get off then you can truly enjoy the scenery and art that makes this attraction! The crazy animals are my favorite!
Other Mary Blair Art In Disney
Mary Blair would also go on to design murals in the Contemporary Resort in Walt Disney World, these are 90 feet high!. One of them with the infamous 5 legged goat we all know and love! Hahaha! There was even a cookie of this cute extra legged goat this Christmas. Some of her murals are painted and others are tile designs and they are all so beautiful. You can find them in California too. When Walt Disney was hired to create a ceramic mural for his newly opened Eye institute at the University of California in Los Angeles, he turned to Mary Blair once again and chose the theme of the It’s A Small World attraction she worked so hard on!
Mary Blair would also make many other murals throughout the Disney Parks. She would also design Walt Disney notecards for Hallmark. Mary Blair was honored as a Disney Legend in 1991, posthumously as she passed away in 1978 at age 66. She is credited with introducing modernist art styles to the Walt Disney and his studio by using the color schemes she chose that were unnatural to what she was depicting.
Conclusion
Obviously Mary Blair was an amazing artist that Walt Disney admired and wanted on his best projects. She had a unique style and eye for colors that made her artwork so special and memorable. You can even see a visual representation of Mary Blair in the Disneyland version of It’s A Small World. She is located about halfway up the Eiffel Tower holding a balloon. I hope I get to see this one day! I love learning about Disney Legends and Mary Blair is definitely one of my all time favorites. I believe she was a pioneer of her time and pushed through what was a male dominated career at the time by never shying away from her unique style and voice. Walt Disney was a smart man to hire her and foster that talent! Did you know who Mary Blair was and that you had enjoyed her art so much in the Disney parks?! As always, thank you all so much for reading and being here! I hope you all have the most magical day!!
