UF’s Mazza Museum Offers New Exhibits and Familiar Favorites

The public is once again invited to the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum during normal business hours to view new exhibitions and familiar favorites.

The Museum is open Wednesday through Friday 12-5 p.m., and Sunday 1-4 p.m.

Visitors can look forward to exploring the following exhibits:

.Hardie Gramatky: A Glimpse into Greatness

The works of Hardie Gramatky, an early author and illustrator for Walt Disney who later created the Little Toot tugboat series, is on display in the Miles Gallery. For the first time, Hardie’s studio and the tools of his trade will share the spotlight with magnificent works of art that they helped create. Visitors now have the unique opportunity to experience the essence of the artist, from his first sparks of inspiration through his storyboards and manuscripts, to the original paintings and his final published work.

.Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead!

In honor of the opening of the new Joseph and Judith Conda STEAM Education Center, the Mazza Museum will have “Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead!” on display in the Reinhardt Gallery. The exhibit will explore the various aspects of the STEAM acronym – science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics – as seen through the creative lens of picture book illustrations. Featured in the exhibit will be new acquisitions donated by artists in honor of the new STEAM addition. The exhibit opens in mid-July and will run through 2024.

.Show of Hands

The Dana Younger Gallery is featuring “Show of Hands,” which includes a selection of art from various illustrators along with a plaster cast of their hand. Through this unique exhibit, you can view not only the art, but a replica of the hand that created it. Some artists represented in the gallery include Marc Brown, creator of “Arthur the Aardvark”; Rosemary Wells, known for “Max Cleans Up” and other Max-related books and cartoons; and Tom Lichtenheld, illustrator of “Mighty, Mighty, Construction Site.”

.Cheryl Harness: A Salute to American History

Cheryl Harness is known for her engaging and artistic approach to history. Harness brings stories like “Three Young Pilgrims,” “Ghosts of the White House,” and “The Amazing, Incredible Erie Canal” to life in stunning detail.

.Illustration for Dummies

In addition to an abundance of finished illustrations, the museum houses an extensive collection of preliminaries, in particular a special format typically seen only by the artist and their publisher: The Dummy Book. A Dummy book serves as a three-dimensional, often hand-drawn prototype, to organize the text, illustrations, and rhythm for the final published book. Illustration for Dummies, currently on display in the Wilson Gallery, is a celebration of this crucial component of picture book development.

.Paper Engineering

The Laiho Gallery is dedicated to art from paper engineered books. This unique form of picture book making features many different shapes, sizes, and dimensions. With works from artists like Matthew Reinhart, David Carter, Jeff Ebbeler, and Keith Allen, visitors can dive into the three-dimensional world of Transformers, Disney princesses, DC super heroes, and Game of Thrones.

For more information on galleries or visits, check the Mazza Museum’s website: https://www.mazzamuseum.org/

or email mazzamuseum@findlay.edu.