Last week, I gave an informal talk to some friends at the Mary Blair exhibit at Napa Valley Museum of Art in Yountville. I did some deeper research to prepare for the event. All I really knew about Blair was that she'd designed "It's a Small World" at Disneyland—which makes sense because I was an Imagineer, and that was my main lens for a long time.
What I discovered gave me so much respect for her as an artist and a woman.
I didn't realize what an amazing legacy she'd built. She was one of Walt Disney's favorite artists, and she had the respect of her peers. She was the only woman included in Disney's "El Grupo"—a goodwill diplomacy trip to South America funded by the government during World War II. Her concepts shaped the look and feel of some of Disney's most iconic films: Dumbo, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and many shorts. Her design aesthetic for a Small World in Disneyland and Walt Disney World influenced many others worked in that mid-century modern style. So did her commercial art and book illustration. She was posthumously honored as a Disney legend in 1991—the first female to receive that award.
When I did a deeper dive, I uncovered her suffering—which only made her art more poignant.
One of Mary Blair's concept artworks for "It's a Small World" in Disneyland.
Mary's husband, Lee Blair, also an artist, was jealous of her success, He was an alcoholic and was reportedly cruel and abusive to her. When he returned form serving in WWII, he refused to return to Disney where he'd have to share the limelight with her—so he started a film company in New York and pressured her to stay there with him. Whenever Walt called to hire her, she'd have to commute back and forth between the coasts.
This was at a time when Mary was not included in the inner circle of Walt's designers and animators. They had a private club in the top floor of their office building in Burbank, where they could eat, work out, smoke cigars, and ogle at Fred Moore's mural of topless women. Whatever discomfort she may have felt had to be suppressed to fit in with the guys.
She had to balance her work with a challenging home life. She had two sons, one of whom was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She also had at least one painful miscarriage. I can't help but wonder if that influenced her work on Dumbo, especially that heart-wrenching scene where Dumbo's mother comforts her little elephant from within her cage.
Later in life, Mary developed alcoholism, which led to alcohol-induced dementia and an early death at 66.
Concept art for Peter Pan. Blair created simple, dramatic pieces with very few strokes. Everything had a place in these minimalist scenes.
And yet she created such happy, loving artwork that brought happiness to many people. Her legacy has been challenged because of her contributions to some of Disney's more racist films (I.e. Song of the South), but I can't imagine how hard it was to challenge the culture of the time, and the men in the rooms during concept meetings. She was notoriously private, so her own opinions are lost to history.
What's undeniable is her contribution to the worlds of animation, theme parks, and children's books. Her trailblazing legacy inspired many other women. Even if her influence was largely unacknowledged until recently.
Blair's concept for Johnny Appleseed
I even referenced her work in a mural design for a proposed Disney Hotel in Anaheim—without even knowing it came her concept art for Johnny Appleseed. I'm glad I now know more about this Disney legend.
My digital art for a hotel mural (that never got made because the hotel funding was pulled )
On another note, I'm teaching a five-week oil portrait workshop in person, starting this Thursday at RileyStreet in San Rafael, California. If you're in the area, come check it out.
