FINDLAY, Ohio (WLIO) - The Mazza Museum is giving budding young illustrators a chance to showcase their skills through a new national competition.
The museum has launched its first “Spark Award,” inviting students ages 8 to 13 to create an original illustration and short story. The contest is another way the museum celebrates the art of hand-drawn illustration while encouraging children to discover their own spark of creativity.
Winners will be invited to attend the museum’s weekend conference in November, and their submissions will be displayed at the museum for one year.
Media Release from the Mazza Museum
Mazza Museum Announces National Competition for Students
The University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum is proud to announce a new annual, national art competition, the Spark Award, and students ages 8 through 13 are invited to submit an original illustration and short story.
“Every artistic journey begins with a spark,” said Dan Chudzinski, director of the Mazza Museum. “This competition is a celebration of the origins of picture books that feature traditional, hand-made illustrations. Through the Spark Award, we hope to inspire the next generation of illustrators while honoring the legacy of those who came before.”
The winner will be chosen by a panel of acclaimed picture book illustrators, and brought to Findlay for Mazza’s annual Weekend Conference November 6 and 7, 2026.
The winner’s art will hang in the Mazza Museum, home of the world’s first and largest collection of original art from picture books, for one year.
“While the Mazza Museum appreciates the skill required for human-created digital illustration, the Spark Award embraces the roots of the museum’s collection of original, physical works of art,” Chudzinski said.
Call for Entries
• Student must be a resident of the United States
• Between the ages of 8 and 13
• Must be available to attend Weekend Conference in Findlay, Ohio on November 6 and 7, 2026
• Create an original work of art, using traditional mediums, and short caption, to be submitted using a high resolution image online—submissions open September 8, 2026
• $15 entry fee
Visit https://bit.ly/MazzaSparkAward for more information and to participate in the Spark award competition
