Findlay, Ohio, Feb. 16, 2004 —The University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum of original art from children’s picture books will announce a $2.2 million fundraising campaign on Thursday, Feb. 26, at a black tie optional event in the Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion.
The evening will begin with a dessert reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by presentations by Roger Berkowitz, retired director of the Toledo Museum of Art, and Catherine Freed, wife of UF President DeBow Freed. An 8:45 p.m. drawing for original art by three Mazza artists will wrap up the evening.
The fundraising campaign is designed to add a proposed 8,000-square-feet of space to the existing Virginia B. Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion. The goal of the campaign is to raise $2.2 million by 2006 so that the art education addition can be dedicated and opened during Mazza’s 25th anniversary year in 2007.
A feature of the new addition will include a children’s art studio, which will allow children visiting the Museum to experience first hand the art of creating picture books. The children will have a location to experiment with the various art media and techniques used by the Mazza artists.
Also included in the addition is the children’s art wall, which will serve as exhibition space for the artwork done by school children.
An art resource center will enhance Mazza’s educational programs and provide a space that encourages the research necessary for such a unique collection of original art from picture books. Holdings will include reference books, periodicals and videotapes. The Havens Library, which contains more than 3,500 books, will become part of the resource center.
The Mazza Gift Gallery, currently housed in a very small space, will be moved to the new addition. The gallery sells children’s books and various merchandise related to children’s literature. Even in its limited location, the gallery has increased annual sales from $19,000 to $131,000 in the past 10 years and provided valuable monetary support for the Museum.
Another feature of the addition will be an art vault. This portion of the addition is vital to the security of the Museum’s multi-million dollar art collection. The number of pieces in the Museum has more than doubled since 1994, from 987 pieces to 2,307, outgrowing current storage capacity. The new location will provide museum-quality temperature and humidity control.
An art preservation and restoration center will provide a multi-use room where museum-quality space will permit temporary storage of art in secure flat files. Workspace for preparing and restoring art will also be included, as will a temporary studio for visiting artists to conduct workshops for UF graphic design majors who focus on book illustration.
Educational programs such as the Mazza Art Camp will benefit from the creation of an art appreciation center. With seating for 30, this location will also provide space for undergraduate and graduate classes in the study of the art of picture books.
A final feature of the new addition is the board room, which will provide a professional space to conduct meetings such as those held by the Mazza Enthusiasts, Mazza National Advisory Board and Mazza Institute planning committee.
Those interested in giving to the campaign should contact Ann Brossia, executive director of planned giving, at 419-434-4794 or email brossia@findlay.edu.
The Mazza Museum of International Art from Picture Books is the world’s first and largest teaching museum dedicated to literacy and the art of children’s picture books. Founded in 1982, the Mazza Museum now contains more than 2,300 pieces of original artwork. The mission of the Museum is to promote literacy by providing educational programs for children and adults by utilizing its preeminent collection of original art from children’s picture books. More than 5,000 individuals visit the Museum each year.
