Meet Joey Chou, the artist behind the art inside Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
At The Walt Disney Company, we partner with talented individuals to help us breathe magic into the places and spaces where guests vacation. This Life at Disney story goes beyond the nametag to feature a different kind of magic maker – the renowned artist whose mid-century-inspired artwork now breathes vibrancy and joy into the recently re-imagined villas inside Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. As expected, Joey Chou the creator is just as captivating as his creations.
Drawn to the artistic styles and movements seen in mid-20th-century Walt Disney Animation Studios classics like Sleeping Beauty (1959) and 101 Dalmatians (1961), Joey Chou felt compelled to put pencil to paper and recreate the scenes he saw on screen. What began as a young boy’s desire to doodle soon evolved into a fascination with characters and storytelling – particularly Alice in Wonderland (1951). By that point, Joey (and his parents, who quickly enrolled him in after-school art classes) realized this wasn’t just hyper-fixation but a true talent for artistry, in need of exploration.
With a world of inspiration at his fingertips, Joey admitted that it was challenging to harness a strong, artistic style, especially for a kid constantly absorbing animation. And even early on in his career as an Animator, few professional projects allowed him to explore and define his own artistic identity.
“Like so many artists who constantly jump from project to project, we tend to morph our style based on what we’re currently working on,” Joey explained during a conversation with Disney Files Magazine.
He recalled that it wasn’t until Disney Publishing hired him to illustrate the “It’s a Small World” (2011) picture book that he was able to fully immerse into the aesthetic of Disney Legend Mary Blair – an opportunity that ultimately cemented Joey’s signature style: mid-century design.
Best known for her distinct use of vibrant colors and abstract patterns for concept art used across Disney classics like Cinderella (1950), Peter Pan (1953) and the aforementioned Alice in Wonderland (not to mention numerous Disney Parks and Resorts projects), Mary’s influence added new depth to Joey’s work and elevated his confidence as a visual storyteller. It also created even more opportunities for Joey to make his mark at some of his favorite places.
Joey specially designed original art, celebrating the uniquely themed lands of Magic Kingdom Park for the villas at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort – years after contributing art to the resort’s sister tower.
Inspired by the land where the birds sing words and flowers croon; where skippers take sandstone for granite; where an orange bird has timeless a-peel; where a pirate can not only pilfer, filch and sack, but also maraud and embezzle...and even highjack, Joey Chou’s Adventureland art (framed in the bedroom) is midcentury magic.
Welcome to Liberty Square, a place where silversmiths put away their tools and march to the drum of a revolution, where all presidents stand together and where a haunted mansion offers a chilling challenge.
A familiar Space Ranger soars over the spires of Space Mountain while planets orbit Rocket Tower Plaza in Joey Chou’s celestial celebration of a great big, beautiful Tomorrowland, framed near the Deluxe Studio bed. “Paging Mr. Morrow. Mr. Tom Morrow. Your artwork has arrived at Starport Seven-Five.”
As a tribute to Mary Blair’s iconic, multi-level Grand Canyon Concourse ceramic mural, he designed the lobby’s monorail mural pictured below (a similar stylized piece now adorns the exterior of a foldaway bed inside the refreshed villas) as well as the lobby’s wallpaper-wrapped columns.
This bed is a showstopper, emblazoned with stylized art of the resort’s sister tower A-framing a monorail enroute to the most magical place on Earth.
“It’s amazing to see these projects come to life and it feels surreal that I’m contributing to an artist I’ve looked up to for many years,” he said. “I’m so grateful that this art style appeals to Disney Vacation Club Members and guests who stay at Bay Lake Tower and even at The Villas at Disneyland Hotel (where you’ll find more of Joey’s art).”
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and The Villas at Disneyland Hotel share a special Disney DNA, with each mid-century modern property paying homage to renowned Disney artists like Mary Blair and carrying that legacy through a new generation of creatives, including artists like Joey.
Equal parts modern and nostalgic, Joey’s work embraces the spirit of Walt Disney himself, who famously had one foot in the past and one in the future.
To learn more about starting your Disney career journey, visit DisneyCareers.com.
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