The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University in Orange is in the final weeks of exhibition for The Magic and Flair of Mary Blair. Any Disney fans that are in or near the Disneyland Resort area will want to be sure to check out these pieces of Disney history up-close and in person before it’s all gone. Ending on October 19, 2019, the charming assemblage contains more than 20 of the colorful and whimsical creations by one of the Walt Disney Company’s most influential and prolific designers, Mary Blair.

Blair created artwork for Disney over the course of more than two decades influencing the flavor and color of several iconic films including DUMBO, SALUDOS AMIGOS, PETER PAN, CINDERELLA, and ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Her visual aesthetic also heavily guided the direction for the “it’s a small world” attraction at the 1964 New York World’s Fair which would find its permanent home at Disneyland in California and then be duplicated at Disney Parks around the world.

A small selection of works from all of these projects and more are contained within.

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The exhibit is displayed towards the back of the museum in a small room. It’s a modest collection but made up of very strong pieces of her work. Below are some of what caught our eyes.

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Other Exhibits

During our visit, we also immensely enjoyed two other exhibits at the Hilbert Museum the first of which was the larger focal exhibit, GIFTED: Collecting the Art of California at Gardena High School, with an AMAZING assortment of artwork selected by the graduating classes of Gardena High School since 1919. The second exhibit is also a smaller one like Mary Blair’s and it’s Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post highlighting several of his gorgeous pieces that were used on the cover of the magazine but focusing in on a finished comp drawing of the ionic “Crestwood Commuter Station” which was featured on the cover on November 16, 1946.

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VIEW MORE: See some of the artwork that caught our eyes from these two exhibits here.

See it for Yourself

Located across the street from the Orange Metrolink Station in Orange, the Hilbert Museum of California Art offers admission COMPLETELY FREE! Additionally, there’s no charge for parking for the small parking lot directly in front of the museum or the slightly larger parking lot located across the street.

The Magic and Flair of Mary Blair is available now at the Hilbert Museum of California Art through October 19, 2019.

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