Maggie Richardson—creator of Mary Blair ART WEAR™️—and her special connection to her beloved Aunt Mary
L-R: Mary Blair and niece Maggie in a family photo from 1963. © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
Maggie Richardson is on a mission of the heart. You’re probably well aware of her aunt Mary Blair’s contribution to the world of Walt Disney—most notably as the designer behind the "it’s a small world" ride, which first debuted at the New York World’s Fair in 1964 before setting up permanent residency at Disneyland in California. You may know that she was the concept artist for some of Disney’s first animated feature films including Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland. But, what you may be less familiar with is the commercial illustration work she did for prominent American companies like Meadow Gold Dairy, Blue Bell children's clothing, or luxury department store Lord & Taylor, all brands that were household names in the 50s and 60s. You likely have not had any exposure to her troves of personal art created to hang on her own walls or to give to her nieces, other family, friends or fellow artists. Maggie would like to change that.
“For me, it’s always been about seeing people as unique individuals and treating them with care. With Mary, my work is focused on one incredible person and the impact she’s had on so many. Preserving her legacy isn’t just a responsibility for me — it’s a passion. Living with her art, seeing how much people continue to love it, and now being the one entrusted to carry that forward — it all feels like a continuation of that same spirit of connection and care.” — Maggie Richardson
Maggie is the daughter of Mary Blair’s older sister Peggy. When she was born her Aunt Mary was thirty-three years old. Maggie grew up in the small town of Campbell, CA - near San Jose - along with her older sister Jeanne.
As a child, she didn’t fully comprehend how well known her Aunt Mary already was for her work with Walt Disney. One Christmas Mary gave her a piece of art - one of her little Baker's Chocolate girls - with a note signed, ‘To: Margaret, with love: Mary.’ At the time she remembers thinking,”‘She signed it, but I already know who she is… and I was kind of expecting a doll!”
The concept art for a Baker's Chocolate ad that Mary gave to Maggie when she was a little girl (left) and the final printed ad for Baker's Chocolate (right)
A ceramic plate painted for Maggie by her Aunt Mary Blair © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
As Maggie grew up, she and Mary developed a special bond. “Aunt Mary always wanted to introduce me to new and exciting things I hadn’t experienced before. When I was fifteen, I took the train to New York and spent a couple of weeks with her that summer. We did all the things I’d never done—seeing Broadway plays, watching the Russian ballet, and even catching the Rockettes. I also got to try lobster for the first time and enjoyed meals at really nice restaurants with very interesting people.”
Mary and Maggie, 1963. © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
Maggie was eighteen and living in Los Angeles for her first year at UCLA when she really began to understand the magnitude of her Aunt Mary’s impact. Being away from home, she got to spend more time with Mary who lived in New York but frequently worked in LA. “She welcomed me into her world. It didn’t hit me how special she was until people started approaching her in public, asking about her work and projects.”
Some weekends she would get to stay with Mary at the Tolucan Motel near the WED (Walter Elias Disney) Studios. “We’d relax by the pool, but she always kept her drawing pad close. She would make little sketches or doodles whenever inspiration struck. Mary was constantly creating—drawing, doodling, or working on something. Sometimes, I’d even catch her sketching on a napkin while out in public.”
“She introduced me to incredible people like Roland Crump, the Disney Imagineer; Marc Davis, the Disney Animator; and Alice Davis, the Disney Costume Designer. We often had dinners with them in their home! Those early dinners made it clear just how respected and loved Mary was within that creative community.”
Maggie was nineteen when "it’s a small world" premiered at the New York World’s Fair and she remembers what a big deal it was. Mary and Walt Disney were interviewed on television, and the whole family made sure to watch and celebrate that moment together.
Mary Blair shows Walt Disney a model of "it’s a small world" during production of The Disneyland Tenth Anniversary Show (1965),-1964. Courtesy of the Walt Disney Archives, © Disney
Maggie worked full time in hospital social work after graduating from UCLA, but her creative energies found other part-time ways to be expressed: photography, graphic design, and soft sculpture art doll production based on the iconic “moon-faced” children created by her beloved aunt Mary Blair.
The Mary Blair illustrated cover for the "I Can Fly" Golden Book (left) and the plush "flying girl" doll that Maggie created from her aunt's art in 2003 (right) © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
Maggie was thirty-three when Mary Blair died at the age of sixty-six. Her work for Mary’s estate wouldn’t begin for another twenty four years.
In 2002, Maggie and her sister Jeanne invited Mary’s youngest son—Kevin Blair—over for Christmas. It was the first year he was alone after the rest of his family had passed.
“During that visit, we started talking about the personal artwork Mary had left him. Kevin invited my sister Jeanne and me up to his home in Northern California to see it all. Her artwork was everywhere - stacked in boxes, stored in the shed, even under the bed. We asked him what he planned to do with it all, and he admitted he felt overwhelmed. So we offered to help.”
In 2003, the three formed a small company with a new website for the purpose of sharing the personal art of Mary Blair and telling her story, along with that of her husband, Lee Blair, and her brother-in-law, Preston Blair.
Around that time, Maggie had reconnected with Alice Davis, who she had met with Aunt Mary decades before. Alice showed her a website she had created to sell her husband Marc’s work after he passed.
“That really inspired me. I suggested to Kevin and Jeanne that we create something similar for Mary’s personal art. We had high-resolution files made of her work and found someone to help us build the site.”
Once it launched, they were flooded with orders and inquiries. People were so excited to see artwork of Mary’s that had never been shared publicly before. It quickly became clear how much her personal work meant to others.
After the site launched, the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco reached out about including Mary’s work in an exhibition, but Kevin was hesitant. It took Pete Docter, the Chief Creative Officer at Pixar, to convince him. Pete told Kevin, “This is your mom. This is her heart. It needs to be shared.”
That encouragement made a difference - Kevin agreed to do the show, and it ended up being a special experience. Diane Disney attended because she loved Mary’s art, and so did the head of Studio Ghibli from Japan - which proved to have a huge impact on the future of Mary’s artistic legacy.
When Kevin passed away unexpectedly in 2008, the estates of the three Blairs were left to Maggie and Jeanne. Maggie took an early retirement and relocated from Los Angeles to Northern California to be closer to Jeanne as they dealt with the numerous details of the three art estates. They also picked up where their cousin Kevin left off: assisting Studio Ghibli in the preparation of their Summer 2009 Tokyo exhibition: The Colors of Mary Blair.
“When we inherited Mary’s art, we discovered a painting called ‘Juice Girl.’ It quickly became a favorite of ours because Mary had painted it just for herself - it hung in her kitchen and had such a charming, personal feel.”
Inspired by the artwork, Maggie decided to create a soft sculpture doll of Juice Girl, matching the exact size of the original painting. She meticulously searched for the perfect materials and hand-painted and stitched it herself.
Maggie's soft sculpture "Juice Girl" doll beside Mary's original illustration. © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
When the Studio Ghibli team visited from Japan to select pieces for “The Colors of Mary Blair” exhibition, Maggie showed them the Juice Girl doll. They loved it so much that they asked to purchase it and included it in the exhibit. They even created miniature purse charms based on the doll, which became the second-best-selling merchandise item after the exhibition catalog.
Maggie standing next to her soft sculpture "Juice Girl" doll and holding a "cushion" souvenir at the Studio Ghibli Summer 2009 exhibition The Colors of Mary Blair in Tokyo. © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
"Juice Girl" purse charm souvenir—modeled after Maggie's "Juice Girl" soft sculpture doll— that became the second best selling product at the Studio Ghibli Summer 2009 exhibition The Colors of Mary Blair in Tokyo. © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
“I felt incredibly proud to have contributed something so special to the show and so proud to be included in an exhibit alongside my aunt.”
L-R: Jim Chamberlain, Jeanne Chamberlain (Maggie's sister and niece of Mary Blair), Studio Ghilbi Exhibition Coordinator, Kevin Allinson (Jeanne's son and great nephew of Mary Blair), Maggie Richardson (niece of Mary Blair), and Studio Ghilbi Exhibition Coordinator at The Colors of Mary Blair exhibit in Tokyo (2009). © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
The immense success of the Tokyo exhibition and the vast variety of merchandise produced was followed by other exhibits, books, and licensed products, which would keep Maggie and Jeanne busy for several enjoyable years to come.
Jeanne & Maggie at The Colors of Mary Blair exhibit in Tokyo (2009). © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
“It wasn’t something either of us had done before, but we worked well together and rolled with things as they came. It wasn’t a formal creative partnership, but it was meaningful and collaborative. And we both learned a lot along the way.”
An Alice plush doll that Maggie made in 2013 after Mary Blair's concept art for Alice in Wonderland. © The Estate of Mary Blair. All rights reserved
After Jeanne’s death in 2023, Maggie and her nephew—Jeanne’s son Kevin Allinson—became the family guardians of Mary Blair’s legacy, continuing to share her gifts to the many fans who love her art, and are inspired by her life.
Maggie is excited to launch this online venture—a new line of fun fashion produced exclusively in Los Angeles. Mary was known for combining unexpected colors and textures in unique ways. This new project combines pieces of her personal art and designs. It’s an idea that has been percolating and in production for some time and has been a way for Maggie to expand on Mary’s legacy in her own way.
“What I’m working on now with Mary Blair ART WEAR™️ is a way to bring her art to life by creating collage-style designs, much like she might have done herself. Her work always came together like a collage, blending colors and shapes in unique ways. I believe she would absolutely love seeing the spirit of her creativity continue and evolve.”
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