Don't make the rookie error ..... know your Mary Blair

Let's compare:

it's a small world

Alice in Wonderland

(source: liveauctioneers)

and the Contemporary Resort's Grand Canyon Concourse

(source: omniluxe)

What do you think brings them all together - besides being Disney things?

it's Mary Blair!

(source: Mary Blair Gallery)

For me, Mary Blair is one, from among many many Disney luminaries, as one who is special.  Every time I see her unique work I feel like I am gaining a glimpse of true American culture.

So Mary was an artist - and worked as one of the original animators for Walt. Her strong sense of design was behind many Disney's pieces including Alice - and also:

Peter Pan

Cinderella

and Song of the South

 

Mary did about a decade in the fifties away from the Disney studio doing private work for advertising and Little Golden Books - her most famous being I Can Fly

 

Lured back to Disney, Walt put Mary to work not on films, but on building things! 

Mary's murals decorated Tomorrowland 

Go read the whole post on Yesterland - it pays magnificent homage to the murals and tells the story of where the murals are now

The Gran Fiesta Tour in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot

(source WDW Magic)

And most famously Mary designed it's a small world for the 1964 New York World's Fair to benefit UNICEF. 

I like these attractions at the parks - I feel like I am immersing myself into American art history - not just riding a dumb old Disney thing with a ear worm song. I feel the style is strong and unique and captures a spirit of lightness, movement, naivety - childhood dreams - the way we wish it was. It is isn't about intellectual or inaccessible. This art is congruent in its style, colours, themes and ultimate application. So it works.

My favourite is the Grand Canyon Concourse in the Contemporary Resort 

(source: Mouse Planet)

Over 18,000 hand made tiles, over 90 ft tall and wrapping around the sides of this central elevator column, this magnificent mural captures the spirit and colours of the Grand Canyon.

(source: Burning Settlers Cabin)

I love that I can walk up to and run my hands over the knobbly tiles.

It celebrates the people of the canyon

and the skunks (source: all ears.net)

There's this cute bear

(source: onmiluxe)

I can't wait to get you there and make you search for the infamous 5 legged goat! 

(of course, if you are coming to the California Grill fireworks dinner you get into this wondrously decorated elevator riser)

This short you tube mini - doco is really charming, full of her art and story, describing how Mary's style emerged.

This partner piece by the young chap includes clips from those final films including Donald and that cute train.

When we are in Orlando, be aware and you'll begin to recognise Mary's influence all over the place.

So how do you find the art of Mary Blair?

(source: Magic of Mary Blair)

If too much Mary is barely enough - with the 50th anniversary of its a small world, Mary Blair displays have been popping up everywhere. Check out:

• The Magic of Mary Blair. run by Mary's nieces
• The Walt Disney Family Museum exhibit Magic, Color, Flair of Mary Blair plus some images from the exhibition
• Pinterest pages that show some of her advertising work
• The Mary Blair Facebook page give more links to more articles 

Why did the pirate go on holidays?*

Aaarrgghhh me scurvy landlubbers be it Talk like a Pirate Day!

I has some treasure for ye bilge rats that will have ya drinkin up, me hearties.

Kaptn Katnip will be your piratey host for the day

Buzzfeed give a show of 20 of the scurviest scallywag piratey kittehs to darken your door

Cake Wrecks haul up the Jolly Roger and send some cakes to walk the plank

Visit Yaaarrr for Aussie Pirates

The Manolo shows superfantastic piratey boots

Get your new piratey name

My pirate name is:

Dread Pirate Rackham

Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

and Pirates have invaded the Disney Parks Blog where you can learn how to talk like a pirate with Pirate Mac, check out new pirate vinylmation, and see historic photos of the Pirates of the Caribbean which - really - started this whole piratey thing.

As I hoist the mainsail and run for the islands, the captn himself shares his tale of the Pirates of the Caribbean

*because he wanted some aarrr and aarrr - Blame Pirate Mac - I don't write 'em, just steal 'em

A whole different animal

Disney has always had a love affair with animals. The company was started with an anthropomorphic rabbit mouse. (that's another post! you'll have to beg). Walt always wanted to have that credibility touch by being partially educational so when he started his Wonderful World of Disney TV show it wasn't long before he was showing african animal documentaries and walking around with a tiger on his arm as if he was the great white environmentalist

courtesy: disneyandmore.blogspot.com

In 1982 the CBS TV show The Fifth Estate alledged that Disney faked the "true life" nature scenes and it was revealed that a Disney nature show was the origin of the myth that lemmings commit suicide by jumping off cliffs.

They don't show the leg of lamb being used to cajole the tiger into being Walt's 2nd best friend.

Despite Uncle Walt's best efforts many Americans still have difficulties with animal identification.

Not. a. lion.

curtesy of : yousuckatcraigslist.com

So Disney have tapped into the audience who predominately have a tendancy toward imagination that runs free and is unencombered with excessive education and give them their own version of the animal kingdom.

You seen all those films - Bambi, Jungle Book, Nemo, Lion King - the list is long. But Disney being Disney wanted you to have that 'immersive experience'. To achieve that they created this.