Participants in the ceremonial ground breaking included (from left): Dr. Jerry Mallett, director of the Mazza Museum; Michael Gardner, Mazza Museum benefactor; Larry Miles, chair of the Mazza Building Addition Committee; Dr. Alec Reinhardt, chair of the Mazza National Advisory Board; Dr. DeBow Freed, president of The University of Findlay; Dr. C. Richard Beckett, chair of The University of Findlay Board of Trustees and Barbara Meyers, chair of the Mazza Enthusiasts.

A ground-breaking ceremony at 11:30 a.m. today kicked off the construction of an 8,000-square-foot addition to The University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum of International Art from Children’s Picture Books.

Construction of the addition, during which current museum functions will continue, will enable the museum to expand its educational programs and to conserve its valuable artworks, which number more than 3,000.  It will provide additional space for a classroom, children’s art studio, art resource library, storage vault, preservation and restoration center, and a gift gallery.

“Mazza is a unique program,” based in education and oriented toward literature, said Dr. DeBow Freed, president of The University of Findlay, thanking all for gifts large and small. “The benefits and impact of this addition go far beyond those normally associated with an expansion of this size and cost. The Mazza expansion will have a multiplying effect, as can sometimes occur in the arts.”

Dr. Jerry Mallett, director of the Mazza Museum, noted the need for the expansion, with the museum’s collection tripling in the past decade and its educational programs growing from four to 29. “The new Children’s Art Studio will provide an exciting environment for visiting children to engage in art and literature activities learned earlier on their docent-led tours … The new Art Vault and work area will provide a safe environment in which to store our art … The workspace will allow us to create museum exhibits in a safe environment and eventually provide space for the conservation of our art” as well as space for long-term visiting artists, he said.

As the treasures the museum holds have grown, so have the Mazza’s reputation and its community of supporters, said J. Alec Reinhardt, chair of the Mazza National Advisory Board. “The ingenuity of the artists and authors whose works are on display inspires the visitors to appreciate, and want to participate in, the creation of art and literature,” he said.

“The community’s recognition of the unique value of the Museum is shown by the fact that most of the Museum’s special events are often ‘sold out,’” he said. The growing reputation of the Museum and its accessibility on the Internet, are causing the Museum’s ‘community’ to continue to expand,” now including Mazza supporters on a regional, national and international scale.

Over the past 24 years, “Mazza has grown from a great idea to a first-class museum,” annually attracting thousands of children, parents, grandparents and friends of the museum, many of whom are loyal supporters, said Larry Miles, chair of the campaign committee. Due to that support, “This expansion has been paid for before ground breaking. “Our goal was to raise $2.2 million by 2006 so we could break ground in early 2006 so the expansion could be completed in time for Mazza’s 25th anniversary in 2007.  We raised $2.4 million and we are on schedule for the building expansion.”

“This is a great day for Mazza; for children’s art and literature; for the teaching of the young and old; and for softening the sometimes harsh candor of everyday life by being able to see and sense the joy of beautifully drawn figures,” Dr. Freed concluded. “Thank you all for your inspired roles in making this event possible.”

Also speaking were Barbara Meyers, chair of the Mazza Enthusiasts, and Dr. C. Richard Beckett, chair of the UF Board of Trustees, while Michael Gardner assisted in the ground-breaking ceremony. A recent gift of $1 million from Michael and his wife, Robin Gardner, both Findlay residents, enabled the campaign for the Mazza Museum addition to exceed its $2.2 million goal, and to begin work so construction will be completed in time for the 25th anniversary of the Mazza Museum in 2007, which will also mark the 125th anniversary of the founding of what was then Findlay College.

The Mazza Museum of International Art from Picture Books is the world’s first and largest teaching museum devoted to literacy and the art of children’s picture books. Founded in 1982, the Mazza Museum now contains more than 3,000 pieces of original artwork. The mission of the Mazza Museum is to promote literacy by providing educational programs for children and adults by utilizing its pre-eminent collection of original art from children’s picture books.

For more information contact: Suzanne English, director of public information, 419-434-4425; cell: 419-306-7552.