An Exhibit of Artwork by the Members
of  the Philadelphia Calligraphers’ Society

2008 Call For Entries

About the Exhibit

This year’s Philadelphia Calligraphers’ Society exhibit, The Artful Letter, will be hosted by the Dr. Ross Beitzel Art Gallery at Gloucester County College in Sewell, New Jersey. The College will provide us with 3 floors of Gallery space with the lower level having cases to accommodate three-dimensional work.   Our exhibit will be the first for the 2008-09 year. The art show opening reception with live entertainment is free and there is parking a short walk from the gallery. The Art Gallery’s hours are 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday. The Gallery is located within the College Center in the heart of the 250-acre GCC campus on Tanyard Road, just off Exit 56 of Route 55.

There is no theme for the 2008 exhibit, except for lettering. We would like you to decide on the type of work you would like to present in the show. This is a chance to show the many aspects of your talents without limitations. Multi-media work will be accepted. Any work produced by a PCS member in the last 3 years can be entered in the juried portion of the show. There will also be a retrospective show of past prize winners which will be by invitation. In addition, we will invite several other regional guilds in affiliated fields (paper makers, book artists, Pointed Pen Society, etc.) to join the exhibit as our guests. (Each will occupy one display case.)

Eligibility

The Artful Letter is open to all current PCS members. We encourage recent artwork. All framed work must be finished with hanging wire. Book arts and other three-dimensional work will be displayed in cases. Beginners are strongly encouraged to enter. We do not have a specific definition of beginner—you may decide for yourself how to categorize your level of calligraphic experience.

Judging

Three jurors will select work for the juried portion of the exhibit. Entries will be judged for excellence in letterform construction, overall design, and craftsmanship. The jurors will designate awards for general entries and a “First Flourish” for beginners' work. Please give careful consideration to the 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. Any work that is not selected for the exhibit will be re-wrapped and you will be contacted.

This Year’s Jurors

Here’s an introduction to this year’s jurors

Tracy Swift-Hahn, first prize winner of last year’s exhibit at the Briar Bush Nature Center, has been a PCS member since 2003. A graduate of the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science (now Philadelphia University), she has worked for 14 years in industry out of New York City designing jacquard woven contract fabrics for commercial applications as well as print designs for apparel.

Meg Kennedy, second prize winner of last year’s exhibit at the Briar Bush Nature Center, has been PCS president for the past 4 years and a professional calligrapher for more than 20 years. Meg has been teaching book arts and calligraphy for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the School District of Philadelphia, and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, as well as conducting artist in residence programs throughout the Delaware Valley.

Eoin Kinnarney is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a Philadelphia muralist. In addition to being Director of the Art Gallery at Gloucester County College, he is an art professor there.

Entry Forms and Labels

For each piece of artwork that you enter, please submit a copy of the entry form and two (2) labels (one for the back of the work and one for PCS files). The entry form (including labels) can be found here.

There is a $10 fee for the first piece entered, and $5 for each additional piece. This covers administrative costs, publicity, and the opening reception. The Art Gallery will not be taking a commission on sales— which is unusually generous. However, they need the names of any members who plan to participate in the exhibit, and the approximate size and price of each piece by July 30 both for insurance and so that a program can be printed. PCS will generate a separate price list to insert in the program when all work is submitted.

We recommend that you take extra care in readying your artwork for delivery, especially if mailing. Please wrap each piece individually using bubble wrap and packing tape.

Drop-Off and Mailing

Make arrangements to deliver your artwork to any of the members listed below from August 25^th to September 2^nd. If you need to mail your art work, pack it carefully and mail it to Maureen Peters so that it will arrive by September 2^nd.

Or, you can deliver your artwork directly to the Gloucester County College Art Gallery, 1400 Tanyard Road, Sewell, NJ 08080, 856-415-2236, on Wednesday, Sept. 3^rd by 10 a.m. 

Exhibit Schedule

For insurance purposes and the Gallery producing all collateral, we need a list of participants with the approximate size and price of the work they will be entering by July 30th. This information is to be sent to Maureen Peters (see contact info below); if you have questions, call her.

• Entry drop-off dates: August 24 - September 2
• Entry due date: September 3
• Judging and hanging of exhibit: September 3 & 4
• Opening reception: Friday, September 5
• Exhibit closes: October 6
• Pick up work from exhibit: October 7

Pickup of Artwork

When the exhibit ends, volunteers will repack artwork and make it available for pick up at the gallery or at your original drop off point. No artwork can be removed before the exhibit ends..

Entry forms and labels may be filled out online, printed, and submitted with your piece(s), along with label(s).