Like Mary Blair, who designed a lot of concept art for early Disney films (Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan), as well as several murals in Disneyland and Disney World, and the It's a Small World ride.
There's a new children's picture book showcasing Blair's concept art for Cinderella. Jim Hill's posted an article on it here.
The only mural I've ever seen with my own two eyes is the one in the Contemporary Resort at Disney World (see below). The two Mary Blair murals in Disneyland have been covered up for a decade or two -- see this Yesterland article.
(See more photos of the Grand Canyon Concourse mural here.)
Mary Blair's murals are fascinating for their comments on community and the future. The two 1967 murals in Disneyland are collectively titled "The Spirit of Creative Energies Among Children." The North mural features joyful children from around the world frolicking under colorful satellites and ribbons of communication, insinuating that global communications will bring the peoples of the world closer. The South mural portrays basic forms of energy -- wind, solar, fire, water -- in reference to the harnessing of natural power for human needs.
Themes of global community and communication are popular in Disney's various Tomorrowlands. Disney is all about hope for the future.
I dream about seeing it all again. It's perhaps the one thing I look forward to.
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