Arthur "Art" Stevens was an animator

Animator

An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...

 for The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...

. Art started work as an inbetweener on Fantasia

Fantasia (film)

Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...

. When Art retired in 1983 after forty-three years he had worked in all branches of the animation department.

Art's first screen credit as an animator was on Peter Pan in 1953. Art contributed his masterful storyboard and animation talents in many Disney cartoon shorts and feature films including Ward Kimball

Ward Kimball

Ward Walrath Kimball was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios. He was one of Walt Disney's team of animators known as Disney's Nine Old Men.-Career:...

's unit and the critically acclaimed Man in Space

Man in Space

Man in Space is an episode of Disneyland which originally aired on March 9, 1955. It was directed by Disney animator Ward Kimball. Later, it was edited into a featurette to play in theaters, accompanying Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. This Disneyland episode , was narrated partly by Kimball...

, Man and the Moon

Man and the Moon

Man and the Moon is an episode of Disneyland which originally aired on December 28, 1955. It was directed by Disney animator Ward Kimball, and is about the Moon. It begins with a humorous look with Man's fascination with the Moon through animation...

and Mars and Beyond

Mars and Beyond

Mars and Beyond is an episode of Disneyland which aired on December 4, 1957. It was directed by Ward Kimball and narrated by Paul Frees. This episode discusses the possibility of life on other planets, especially Mars. It begins with an introduction of Walt Disney and his robot friend Garco, who...

space shows. Additionally, Art was one of the key animators on the Oscar-winning shorts Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom is an educational Adventures in Music animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions, and originally released to theaters by Buena Vista Distribution on November 10, 1953...

and It's Tough to Be a Bird

It's Tough to Be a Bird

It's Tough to Be a Bird is a 1969 educational animated short made by Walt Disney Productions. It won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Cartoons in 1970 and was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Animated Film in 1971....

.

Over the years Art's expertise, warmth and generosity of spirit enriched the lives and careers of many young artists who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.

Art retired after producing and directing Disney's The Fox and the Hound and contributing story work for The Black Cauldron

The Black Cauldron

The Black Cauldron can refer to:* The Black Cauldron , the second novel in The Chronicles of Prydain series* The Black Cauldron , the Disney animated film based on The Chronicles of Prydain book series...

. He is survived by his wife Penny, sons Craig (Leslie) and Kent, and grandchildren Julie, Kyle, Scott and Nicholas.

External links