CHICAGO (December 11, 2006) - For calligraphers, the Chicago Calligraphy Collective's yearly exhibit is considered among the most prestigious in the U.S. This highly competitive, juried exhibit is now in its 21st year. And for more than a decade, the Newberry Library has been its host. From January 31 through March 17, 2007, the Library will feature new work by current Chicago Calligraphy Collective members. Exploration, the 21st annual juried exhibition, will include handmade artist books and broadsides, plus three-dimensional works in various media and styles, from classical to contemporary.
This free exhibit brings the best in contemporary calligraphy to the Newberry Library - and to Chicago. It also contributes another important element to the Newberry's distinguished Wing Collection, one of the world's leading collections of calligraphy books. Through the Purchase Prize, the most generous calligraphy prize offered annually anywhere in the U.S., the Newberry is pleased to add a new piece from the Collective every year to its deep calligraphy collection.
The Newberry's consistent relationship with the Chicago Calligraphy Collective and its exhibit demonstrates the lively interactions between contemporary artistic practice and the Library's historical collections. Founded in 1976, the Chicago Calligraphy Collective promotes the study, practice, and appreciation of calligraphy in all its historical and present-day applications. The Newberry's mission is the perfect complement.
Curator Paul F. Gehl points out, "The Newberry is one of the few major research libraries open to all, allowing calligraphers at all levels of expertise and experience to study original manuscript documents in many scripts and from many periods."
Opening Reception:
Join the Newberry on February 10, 2007 at 11 am for the announcement of the Purchase Prize winner by curator Paul F. Gehl, and a lecture by noted calligrapher Thomas Ingmire. For more information, please call (312) 255-3691. Admission is free.
Gallery Hours:
Monday, Friday, Saturday-8:15 am to 5:30 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday-8:15 am to 7:30 pm
The Library is closed on Sundays.
ABOUT THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
The Newberry Library is an independent library open to the public for research and reference in the humanities. One of the largest independent research libraries in the United States, the Newberry holds an extraordinary collection of more than 1.5 million books, 5 million manuscript pages and 300 thousand historic maps. As one of the world's leading repositories of a broad range of books and manuscripts relating to the civilizations of western Europe and the Americas, the Library's mission is to acquire and preserve research collections of such materials, and to provide for and promote their effective use by a diverse community of users. Visit the Newberry online at www.newberry.org .