A ‘world of hope’: The remarkable career of Disney Legend Mary Blair

"Consummate professional" is how one could describe Disney Legend Mary Blair; in the 1940s and '50s, she was truly a woman at the top of her game. But after reaching such heights - as a designer for the Walt Disney Company during those storied years under Walt Disney himself - Blair decided to walk away - twice. And here's the kicker. Disney kept calling her back.

Blair was known for her unique and pioneering style, introducing abstract art and bold, unconventional color palettes - a modern aesthetic essentially - to Walt Disney Studios in the 1940s and '50s. Combining bold, non-naturalistic colors, whimsical, simplified shapes and flat geometric compositions, her work bridged modern art with animation. Her characters were stylized and less realistic than in the past. Her work is so distinct, so iconic, you'll always know it's Mary Blair when you see it.

After finishing college in the mid-1930s, Blair won a scholarship to attend the renowned Los Angeles Chouinard Art Institute, with plans to become a watercolor artist. It is interesting to note that, with the philanthropic help of Walt and Roy Disney, the Chouinard would eventually merge with the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music to become California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).

She completed her studies and joined the Walt Disney Company in 1940, worked on "Dumbo," "Lady and the Tramp" and "Fantasia," and then, in 1941, decided to leave. According to the Walt Disney Family Museum blog, she wanted to turn away from animation and focus on fine art.

The phone rang. Disney wanted Blair to join a group of Disney artists on a U.S government goodwill trip to South America during World War II. It was on this trip that Blair found her signature style - a South American palette of vibrant colors combined with modern shapes and bold compositions.

Her return to the Walt Disney Company after that trek greatly influenced the development of feature-length animated films. Animation was ready to evolve from the highly detailed, rounded, three-dimensional characters of Snow White and Pinocchio. Blair led the way with her two-dimensional, stylized characters. Her tools of choice? Watercolor, gouache, pastel and acrylic. Blair's conceptual work is on full, vibrant display in "Cinderella," "Alice in Wonderland" and "Peter Pan."

Blair's iconic style had a huge impact on midcentury illustration. In "Cinderella," her exaggerated shapes, abstract renderings and bold colors enhance the storytelling, without getting in the way of it. Lella Smith, former director of the Disney Animation Research Library, told a film crew making a featurette on Blair, "Mary Blair is one of the top three requests that come into the library."

In the mid-1950s, Blair left Disney again, and again on good terms. Her terms. She turned her focus toward illustrations for children's books, freelance graphic design and raising her family. Once again, though, fate stepped in. Walt Disney made another call.

Disney had overextended himself for the 1964 New York World's Fair. Already committed to producing three corporate-sponsored attractions (Magic Skyway, Carousel of Progress and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln), and with every Disney creative working overtime, he was approached by legendary actress Joan Crawford. Crawford, at the time on the Board of Directors of what's now known as PepsiCo, asked Disney to create an attraction for the UNICEF Pavilion, which PepsiCo sponsored. Disney couldn't say no, and he knew just who to get to design such a large-scale project and bring it in on time: Mary Blair.

Envisioned by Disney as a pleasant, "wonderland" boat ride experience celebrating children of the world, It's a Small World would become Blair's magnum opus. She went right to work. The drawings came pouring out of her.

Her unique, amazing sense of color in daring, surprising combinations runs through the entire ride from beginning to end. The materials used are not sophisticated. Paper, ribbon, glitter, felt, straw, feathers, beads and sequins are all common items. Yet they come together in a unique, never-before-seen, immersive experience under Blair's brilliant execution.

It's a Small World went on to become one of the most popular attractions at the fair. It was so sought after that when it closed, the attraction was packed up, transported across the country, and installed at Disneyland. Children in traditional costumes from around the world were invited to participate in the 1966 opening ceremony, which was topped off with a 10,000-balloon release and the flight of white doves.

For many of us, our introduction to the art of Mary Blair is as a rider in a little gondola, gliding through the waterway of the It's a Small World ride. After 60 years, it is still one of Disneyland's most popular attractions. The metrics are impressive. The ride, installed at Disney theme parks in California, Florida, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong, has welcomed hundreds of millions of guests. Oh, and that familiar tune composed by the Sherman Brothers, the one with the same name as the ride? It holds the distinction of being the most-played song in history, according to Time Magazine.

After an illustrious career, Blair died in 1978. She was honored as a Disney Legend in 1991. Her legacy lives on in motion pictures, television, publishing, commercial art, Disney theme parks worldwide and at UCLA.

When Jules Stein, head of Music Corporation of America (MCA), announced plans to create a world-renowned, multidisciplinary center dedicated to preventing blindness, many industry leaders and celebrities stepped forward as patrons. This included Disney, a longtime acquaintance of Dr. and Mrs. Jules Stein.

The Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA opened in 1966. For it Disney envisioned a wall mural in a reception area to delight and calm children. The first person that came to mind to bring on for the project was, naturally, Mary Blair.

What Blair designed was a one-of-a-kind, 220-square-foot mural consisting of 12-inch-square ceramic tiles depicting children in regional dress, cute animals, whimsical patterns, shapes and colors - all in her signature style. One look at the exquisite floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall artwork, and you know it's Blair. The bright, colorful figures welcome children from all over the world and make them feel at ease. And, since the mural is made of glazed, ceramic tiles, it will last for generations.

There are many works of art on the UCLA campus. This wall mural, in a patient care area of the Jules Stein Eye Institute, being one of them, is an "original" in the truest sense of the word. A gift to the UCLA community from Walt Disney, Dr. and Mrs. Jules Stein, and the great Mary Blair.

Women's History Month

This spotlight series is part of an ongoing effort to feature stories from across the UCLA campus spotlighting women's voices, histories and research.

Read more: