Get Inspired - Mary Blair panel w/ leading animation artists at AMPAS

You don't have to be a an Oscar nominee.. or even a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS).... to attend many of their educational events and programs. The Academy also posts video clips of many of their lectures. Thursday, Oct 20th @ 7:30 PM features a discussion on one of our favorite artists: Mary Blair.

Here's info from the Academy Website:

Featuring Pete Docter, Michael Giaimo, Eric Goldberg, Susan Goldberg and Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi.

Panel moderated by animation critic and historian Charles Solomon.

The unmistakably bold and colorful designs of Mary Blair (1911-1978) continue to inspire and influence artists in all areas of animation today.

Although Mary Blair is perhaps best known for the design of Disneyland's "it's a small world" attraction and park murals, her concept artwork for "Cinderella," "Alice in Wonderland" and "Peter Pan" in the 1950s, as well as for earlier short subjects, reflects her unique sensibility and lasting influence on animation.

The panelists will not only celebrate Blair's work as an artist and stylist, but will also show examples and discuss how her work has influenced their own.

Mary Blair, early 1960s. Courtesy of Walt Disney Imagineering.

Scheduled panelists include:

PETE DOCTER, a director who received the 2009 Oscar for Animated Feature Film for "Up" and was nominated for Original Screenplay for "Up," "WALL-E" and "Toy Story," Animated Feature Film for "Monsters, Inc." and Animated Short Film for "Mike's New Car."

MICHAEL GIAIMO, a character designer for "The Brave Little Toaster" and "FernGully: The Last Rainforest," as well as the art director for "Pocahontas" and a visual development artist for "Home on the Range."

ERIC GOLDBERG, the supervising animator for the Genie in "Aladdin," Phil in "Hercules" and Rabbit in "Winnie the Pooh." He was also the director of "Pocahontas" and the "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Carnival of the Animals" segments of "Fantasia/2000."

SUSAN GOLDBERG, the art director for the "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Carnival of the Animals" sequences in "Fantasia/2000" and an assistant animator on "Pocahontas," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Hercules."

DAISUKE "DICE" TSUTSUMI, the lead color key artist on "Robots," the lead color designer for "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" and the art director on "Toy Story 3."

Tickets are only $5 for the general public: Here's link to Academy events page for this lecture & ticket ordering on-line:

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2011/10/blair.html