Handwriting Contest -- Memphis Calligraphy Guild

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a calligraphy contest, but a handwriting contest. It isn't meant to show off fancy, ornate skills, but rather to demonstrate handwriting which is basic and beautiful in its own write (pun intended).

Here are the rules:

The Memphis Calligraphy Guild invites you to participate in the 2OO8 HANDWRITING CONTEST

l. One (l) entry per person.

2. Age categories (as determined by your age on January l, 2008)

6 and under
7 to 10
11 to l9
20 and over

3. Write designated quote (see below) on lined or unlined 8 1/2 x 11-in paper. Use ballpoint or fountain pen. NO felt tip markers or calligraphy pens. Only BLACK INK will be accepted. Use the same pen throughout the quote. Children aged 6-and-under may use a pencil.

4. Ages l0 and under have the option to write using either MANUSCRIPT
PRINTING (joins fewer than half its letters) or CURSIVE (joins half or
more of its letters). Ages 11 and over MUST LISE CURSIVE. The 6-and-under category may PRINT.

5. The written quote must fit on the FRONT side of ONE (1) sheet of paper.

6. On the BACK of the entry, write your name, age category, address, area code and phone number, and e-mail address (if any). All personal information will be kept confidential and used only to notify winners. If missing or illegible, you won't win.

7. Entries will be judged on:

LEGIBILITY: how easy it is to read.
FLUENCY: smoothness, grace and flow of writing.
COMPETENCY: Layout: margins on 4 sides of writing, spacing between the letters, words and lines. Consistency of letter forms: size, slant, accuracy of the quote, neatness, spelling, and whether or not the rules were followed.

8. No cash prizes will be awarded. All entries become the property of the
Memphis Calligraphy Guild and will not be returned. NO FAX OR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Top 100 entries will be displayed at The Delta Festival in August 2008. Mailed entries must be received by August 1, 2008. Mail entries to:

Carole Foster
3513 Angelin Cove,
Bartlett, TN 38135

For more information, e-mail Carole Foster [imageryfarm@gmail.com].

DESIGNATED QUOTES:

Quote #1 Alphabet Sentences (Ages 6-and-under Only)

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Jack's man found exactly a quarter in the woven zipper bug.

Quote #2 (Ages 7 to l0)

Letters, these seemingly commonplace little signs, taken for granted by so many, belong to the most momentous products of creative power. These forms, which we take in with our eyes a million times each day, embody the highest skill within their small compass. They are abstract refinements of the creative imagination, full of clarity, movement and subtlety. They combine two characteristics, which must be inseparable: the precision of mathematical laws and the expressiveness of the animated stroke. Gustav Bartel

Quote #3 (Ages 11 and older)

Handwriting: That action of emotion, of thought, and of decision that has recorded the history of mankind, revealed the genius of invention, and disclosed the inmost depths of the soulful heart. It gives ideas tangible form through written letters, pictographs, symbols, and signs. Handwriting forms a bond across millennia and generations that not only ties us to the thoughts and deeds of our forebears but also serves as an irrevocable link to our humanity. Neither machines nor technology can replace the contributions or continuing importance of this inexpensive portable
skill. Necessary in every age, Handwriting remains just as vital to the enduring saga of civilization as our next breath. Michael R. Sull