Explore the Sculptor of this artwork, Partners (statue).
Blaine Gibson (February 11, 1918 – July 5, 2015) was born on a small farm in Rocky Ford, Colorado. After graduating high school, he attended Colorado University. When he was 21, he applied for a position at Walt Disney Studios. He applied through the mail, requesting information regarding any job opportunities there. He received a reply explaining that he could apply by mail, and should include a drawing with his application. His illustration of a little boy milking a cow and squirting the milk into a kitten's mouth, won him a job as an effects animator for the studios in 1939. Later, as a Disney Imagineer, drawing was his focus for many years.
Gibson is most known for his animations in Fantasia, Bambi, Song of the South, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians. After ten years, he became an assistant animator to Frank Thomas. While Gibson was very successful in animation, sculpting had always been his passion. He designed and animated at work, and took classes at Pasadena City College to perfect his sculpting techniques. Disney soon took interest in his sculptures, and assigned him to the Disneyland Project. From there, he sculpted full-time for the park's attractions. Some of his most noticeable works are the pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean, the ghosts and ghouls of the Haunted Mansion, the birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room, and the children of It's a Small World. He also sculpted busts of the presidents for the Hall of Presidents. After his retirement in 1983, he was consulted on the bust of Barack Obama.
Gibson died of heart failure on July 5, 2015 at the age of 97.
Pirates of the Caribbean Barack Obama Imagineer Walt Disney Song of the South Rocky Ford, Colorado One Hundred and One Dalmatians Sleeping Beauty Alice in Wonderland Pasadena City College Disney Hall of Presidents Haunted Mansion Fantasia Frank Thomas Disneyland Walt Disney Studios animator It's a Small World Bambi Colorado University Blaine Gibson Enchanted Tiki Room Peter Pan