“The Magic of Mazza” Receives Two Emmy Award Nominations
Branden Ferguson
Posted On May 13, 2023
“The Magic of Mazza” documentary has been nominated for two Emmy awards, recognizing the partnership and hard work of the University of Findlay Mazza Museum and WBGU-PBS. The hour-long documentary explores the history of Mazza Museum – the largest and most diverse collection of original picture book artwork in the world. “The Magic of Mazza” was unveiled at Mazza’s Weekend Conference event in November 2022, instantly creating excitement and bringing back fond memories.
Benjamin Sapp, director of the Mazza Museum, recalled the exciting project. “All ten of the authors responded to my email request within a day. They were excited to share their story of being an illustrator and how important the Mazza Museum is to the work they create,” he said. The excitement started in spring of 2019, as the camera crew started traveling to the illustrators’ studios across the country. By spring of 2020, the project came to a screeching stop with the arrival of COVID-19.
Once production was restarted, crews began talking and interviewing illustrators including Patricia Polacco, Matthew Reinhart, Wendell Minor, Marc Brown, Jim Arnosky, Don Tate, Rosemary Wells, Tom Lichtenheld, Steven Kellogg, and the late Jerry Pinkney. “The University, Mazza staff, and Mazza enthusiasts were all very excited,” recalls Sapp.
“I was extremely honored and proud that the place I have loved and the place that has been such an important part of my life was shown through a documentary that received the attention deserving of two Emmy nominations,” said Sapp.
WBGU-PBS “The Magic of Mazza” nominations include:
- Photographer – Long Form Content: Meghan Murray, Zachary Mills, Kaitlyn Kuch Finkler, and Brandon Walters
- Editor – Long Form Content: Meghan Murray and Kaitlyn Kuch Finkler
The recipients will be announced at the 54th annual Central Great Lakes gala awards ceremony on June 17 in Westlake, Ohio.
While Sapp and others were excited to celebrate the history and magic of Mazza Museum, Sapp is excited to continue creating new magic and history. “Creating new history through the work we all do with the Mazza Museum is one of the most rewarding and special opportunities in the world!”
For more information on the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum, including visitation hours and upcoming events, please visit MazzaMuseum.org. To watch “The Magic of Mazza,” visit WBGU-PBS online.
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