CHICAGO, February 20, 2007 - The Newberry Library has awarded Chicago Calligraphy Collective participant Julie Wildman with the 2007 Newberry Library Purchase Prize Award. The winning piece, Psalm 117, will join the Library's deep collection of calligraphic works and past winners of the Purchase Prize.
"Psalm 117 is traditional in format but also contemporary in feel," said judge Paul Gehl, custodian of the John M. Wing Foundation on the History of Printing. "The script, the composition, the colors and the style all make for a harmonious and beautiful whole."
A member of the Chicago Calligraphy Collective (CCC) since 2000, Wildman's work has been exhibited at the CCC's annual juried show at the Newberry Library in Chicago, as well as the annual Members' Show at the Sulzer Library. Wildman, who received a B.A. in graphic design from Columbia College in 1987, began working at a Chicago design firm as a graphic designer immediately following graduation. Dabbling in fine art on the side, it wasn't until 1998, when she had an opportunity to take a yearlong master class in calligraphy, that she found a niche that fascinated her. Currently, she is a freelance graphic designer and teaches calligraphy to adults and children.
Wildman, who lives in Highland, Indiana with husband, Brad, and son, Josiah, is donating sketches and other preparatory material to the Newberry at the request of curator Paul Gehl.
"Although not a condition of the award, it makes the winning piece more valuable for future research," Gehl explained.
The CCC, which includes more than 300 artists, was founded in 1976 in order to support the studies, practices and appreciation of calligraphy in all forms - historical and contemporary. The current exhibit, free and open to the public, runs through March 17 at the Newberry Library.
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The Newberry Library, a pre-eminent humanities research and reference institution, is home to a world-class collection of books, manuscripts, maps, music, and other printed materials. The Library's evolving collections focus on Western Europe and the Americas and include more than 1.5 million books, 5 million manuscript pages, and 300,000 historic maps. The Newberry offers exhibits based on its collections, musical and theatrical performances, lectures and discussions with leading humanists, seminars, and teacher programs. Visit the Newberry online at www.newberry.org.