The Marian Hagins' Memorial Art Competition was started in 1981 by the three children of Marian Hagins, in loving memory of their mother who "understood that art is the past, present, and future", as written by Mrs. Inez Plyler in 1983. Marian studied commercial art at The Washington School of Art under the tutelage of Dayrell Kortheur, Paul Bartlett, and Russel Henderson, and took workshops from John Brady, Dean Barber, Boyce Kendrick and many others who influenced her love and talents in the arts. She loved to experiment with many different types of painting materials and mediums, and developed life-long friendships with other local artists. This mutual love of art led Marian and friends to start the The Lancaster County Art League in 1954, as a means to help further the arts as well as provide a meeting place for artists and art lovers to share their love of the arts. The Art League and the Arts Council are not just for artists - they are for anyone who loves art and wants to learn.

The annual competition is open to any resident of Lancaster County of high school age and older, for paintings done in the last two years. This year it is being sponsored by the Hagins Family, the Lancaster County Council of the Arts, and the Lancaster County Art League. Marian's children also established a trust fund which provides for the following awards: First Place - $250.00, Second Place - $125.00, Third Place $75.00, Fourth Place - $50.00, Four Honorable Mentions - $10.00 each, and People's Choice - $25.00.