In 1963, Disney asked Blair to help with the design for a boat ride he wanted to create to be featured in the United Nations Children’s Fund Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City. The result became the iconic “It’s a Small World” ride experienced by millions around the world. It was a call for harmony and peace during the height of the nuclear age. Her sketches in creating the “It’s a Small World” concept depicted the colors and styles she began using in South America and were combined with her years of training and experimentation. They feature children atop the Leaning Tower of Pisa and riding dolphins in the Pacific Ocean; the Eiffel Tower, Russian onion- dome buildings, a Greek temple, and a Dutch windmill are included in a panorama of Europe; and a pair of giraffes’ twisting necks formed an arch over the boat channel. It has been said that the ride is like “floating through one of her children’s books.” Blair also became intrigued with the ceramic tile process. She likened the process to wet watercolors, fluid and vibrant, but never fading. She prepared a piece made of 12 1’ square tiles, hand painted with 3D effects, featuring two small Mary Blair created a ceramic tile prototype featuring two children children to convey her vision for a much larger for her vision of a large mosaic mural for a Disney property. work. Completed, the 90’ mural was placed on the elevator wall in the Contemporary Resort Hotel at Florida’s Walt Disney World. This would be the last project Blair completed for Walt Disney Studios. 4040