The Osher Map Library has selected Lucie Hollan from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) to be one of the final Top Twelve in their annual Illustrated Mapmaking Contest. Students were invited to illustrate an original, creative, and unassisted map to depict any real or imaginary place. Judges decided upon the top twelve maps in each category, and then voting was opened to the public to determine the top three. Results from voting are still being tallied and will include "Best in Grade" and "Honorable Mention."

Art teacher Angela Lathem-Ballard was able to secure funding for an artist-in-residence to visit CTL and mentor student cartographers. Dr. Molly Brown spent time with CTL students in third through sixth grades explaining the history of mapmaking, the role that mapmaking has played in Maine and throughout the United States, and techniques that mapmakers employ when designing their own maps. Dr. Brown also led students through several watercolor and pen-and-ink finishing exercises. Students used what they learned from Dr. Brown to design maps that capture a wide range of physical and imaginary landscapes. Some students created maps of significant places in their lives. Others created maps to represent their inner or emotional landscapes. Some CTL mapmakers designed maps inspired by their favorite literary works.

Lucie’s incredible map, “A Dragon’s Map of Pantala,” was inspired by her love for the fantasy book series Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland. From Renee Keul, Osher's Assistant Director of Education and Outreach, "[Lucie painted] a great map that showed a lot of creativity and talent. We had 281 entries this year, so making it into the Top Twelve was no easy feat. I hope that Lucie had fun making the map and is very proud of how well it performed in the contest!"

The Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education (OML) has been located on the Portland campus of the University of Southern Maine since 1994. Since 2009, it occupies the three-story building at the corner of Forest Avenue and Bedford Street (314 Forest Avenue); it is attached, on the first floor, to the seven-story Albert Brenner Glickman Family Library.

The Center for Teaching and Learning CTL has openings in select grades for the 2023-24 school year. For families interested in learning more about the school or visiting CTL, please contact Katy Inman, Head of School, at katy@c-t-l.org or 882-9706. For more information, visit the school’s website at http://www.c-t-l.org or follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ctlkto8.