Speaking of notable female animators (see previous post), let’s talk about one of the all-time greats — Mary Blair. Much has been written about her, and for good reason, as her style had a profound impact. Although her early career included stops at MGM animation and Ub Iwerks studios, Blair’s biggest impact occurred at Disney, which she joined in 1940. Blair’s medium of choice was watercolors, which she used to create exquisite backgrounds and inspirational art. Her use of bold colors and abstract design represented the emergence of modern design in animation and provided a unique look to various Disney films. The films Cinderella (1950) and Alice in Wonderland (1951) are two of her most noted films. Blair was also a children’s book illustrator for the Little Golden Books series. The Little House (1952), which is a Disney film based on the famous children’s book of the same title, is a good example of Blair combining her animation style and her children’s book style. The image above is one of Blair’s inspiration paintings from that film. The exhibit will include five Mary Blair pieces, which will be presented in a special display.