OHIO: The Start Of It All
Ohio Innovations As Seen in Children’s Picture Books
September 24 – December 31, 2022
OHIO: The Start of It All showcases world-changing Ohio innovations in dozens of original works of children’s picture book art from the University of Findlay’s world-renowned Mazza Museum, home to the world’s first and most diverse collection of original picture book art.
The exhibition pairs original works of art from beloved picture books with facts about Ohio history and innovations, from the earthworks of Ohio’s Indigenous Peoples, to aviation and astronautical science, to the creation of comic book superheroes that have shaped popular culture in the U.S. and around the world.
Artists represented in the exhibition include some of the most celebrated illustrators and author/illustrators in the genre: Marc Brown, creator of Arthur the Aardvark; Rosemary Wells, creator of Max & Ruby; Syd Hoff, creator of Danny and the Dinosaur; Alice and Martin Provensen, whose book The Glorious Flight won the Caldecott Medal, the foremost award for picture book illustrations – and others.
In June 1946, Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers published the first issue of Highlights for Children, a monthly magazine full of stories, puzzles, and creative thinking. Did you know that there was a Hidden Pictures Puzzle in the very first issue? The lower gallery featured a collection of Hidden Pictures Puzzles. The game play is the same all these years later, although disembodied limbs wouldn’t be hidden in puzzles created today.
SUPPLEMENTAL EXHIBITION CONTENT