This year's PCS exhibit, The Artful Letter, will be hosted by the Center for the Arts in Marlton, New Jersey during the month of October. The Center for the Arts is housed in an historic stone building featuring three gallery rooms with locked cases and pedestals to accommodate framed, three-dimensional and sculptural work. The center is quaint and intimate and the surroundings are beautiful. The show will then be moved to Millersville University (outside of Lancaster) where it will be exhibited until December 16th.
To help focus your creative energy, PCS has adopted a theme for this year's calligraphy exhibit. Inspired by Professor Gottfried Pott's paper - The Music of Lettering - this year's exhibit seeks to emphasize the close relationship between the arts of lettering and music. In his view "calligraphy is visual music." Clearly, the form of our letters produces a tone and that tone adds to the richness of the message presented by the hand-lettered word. We urge you to let these words invigorate you as you create your submission for our exhibit. Ultimately, your submission need not reflect the theme - it is enough that you were inspired by Prof. Pott's words.
This year, PCS is adding a non-juried section to the regular exhibit, which is a wonderful opportunity especially for those who have never submitted work for display. This piece of work should be your interpretation of the following quote from Professor Pott: "Calligraphy is visual music." We are asking that you mount your artwork in a piece of 9" x 12" mat board (any color) with a 6" x 9" opening. These mats can be purchased at any craft store. Please do not frame this small piece. We are looking forward to seeing the many different interpretations of this quote. There is no fee for entering a piece in this part of the exhibit.
Invitations go out the first week in September. Below is a schedule of events and dates relating to both shows:.
| The Center for the Arts | |||
| Entry Drop-off Due Date | The week of September 25th | ||
| Entry Due Date | Friday, September 30th | ||
| Hanging of the Show | Friday, September 30th | ||
| Opening Reception | Sunday, October 2nd, 2:00 – 5:00 P.M. | ||
| Take down of show | Monday, October 31st | ||
| Millersville University | |||
| Show moved from Marlton | Monday, October 31st | ||
| Hanging of the Show | First week of November | ||
| Opening Reception | Monday, November 7th | ||
| Show closes | Saturday, December 17th | ||
| Pick-up at original drop off points | Sunday, December 18th | ||
The Artful Letter is open to all current PCS members. We encourage recent artwork. All framed artwork must be finished with hanging hardware and wire. Book arts, sculpture and other free-standing 3-D work will be displayed in a locked glass-fronted case. If you have a piece you would like displayed on an open pedestal, please let the exhibit chairs know. Beginners are especially encouraged to enter. We are not defining beginner. Members may decide for themselves how to categorize their level of calligraphic experience.
Three jurors will select works for the show based on excellence in letterform construction, overall design and craftsmanship. The jurors will designate awards for general entries and a "First Flourish," for beginner's work. Please give careful consideration to presentation of your artwork. In the past, good pieces have been reluctantly rejected because of smudges and smears on mats, visible guidelines, badly cut mats, and poorly crafted or inappropriate frames. If your artwork is not selected, exhibit volunteers will rewrap it and contact you as to when and where you can pick it up.
Our jurors will be:
HARRY R. FORREST – A professional calligrapher since 1979, Harry is a past president of PCS and currently serves on its Board. Among his clients are the Curtis Institute of Music, The American Philosophical Society, The Foreign Policy Research Institute, The Musical Fund Society, The Settlement Music School, The University of Pennsylvania, and the American Red Cross. He has exhibited his work throughout the Delaware Valley for more than 25 years, and has taught calligraphy courses and workshops for a variety of organizations and institutions in several states during that period.
LILI CASSEL-WRONKER – An internationally-recognized scribe and designer, Lili has illustrated children's books, designed book jackets, and presented lettering workshops for various calligraphy societies, national conferences, and at numerous sites, including the Brooklyn Museum, the New School of Social Research, the Cooper Hewitt Museum, and St. John's University. She has exhibited in New York, London, Paris, and Jerusalem and has published articles in Lettering Arts Review and Alphabet Magazine.
BILL SAWICKI – Bill is a life-long lettering enthusiast and master scribe. He conducted calligraphy classes and workshops through several decades of the last century. His corporate clients included CIGNA, University of Pennsylvania, and Bell Atlantic. Residing in Manayunk, he curates his collection of vintage railroad signage.
Please wrap each piece individually using bubble wrap and packing tape. Keep in mind that we have to rewrap all the artwork, transport it to Millersville University, rewrap and deliver to drop-off points. The goal here is to reuse materials and to keep things as streamlined as possible.
Artwork may be dropped off at any of several sites, or mailed.
If you want to drop off your artwork, make arrangements to deliver it, during the week of September 25th, to any of the following members:
You may also deliver your artwork, on Friday, September 30th by 10:00 A.M., directly to
A map showing the location of the Center for the Arts can be found here, and you can get cusomized driving directions here.
If you need to mail your artwork, pack it accordingly and send, allowing enough time for it to arrive on or before September 29th, to
At the end of the Millersville University show, exhibit volunteers will repack artwork and make it available for pick-up at original drop-off point after December 17th. No artwork can be removed prior to the end of the show, or without prior arrangement with the exhibit chairs.
Entry forms may be filled out online, printed, and submitted with your piece(s), along with labels.
Entry labels may be filled out online, printed, and submitted with your piece(s), along with your entry form(s).
The Philadelphia Calligraphers' Society will exercise the utmost care in the handling and hanging or displaying of your artwork. By submitting to this exhibition, the entrant agrees to hold harmless the Philadelphia Calligraphers' Society, The Center for the Arts in Marlton, New Jersey and Millersville University, or any of its agents for any theft of or damage to artwork.