Tribute Fund Scholarship Grants

The Chicago Calligraphy Collective has established a Tribute Fund Scholarship Grant to honor the memory of members who contributed unselfishly and graciously to the Collective with their art and calligraphic talents. Since 2021, the CCC has made annual awards as follows:

  • The 2023 Tribute Fund Scholarship Grant was awarded to Tatiana deFigueiredo Gebert in honor of CCC member Pam Sussman.

  • The 2022 Tribute Fund Scholarship Grant was awarded (in 2023) to Nancy Belda in honor of CCC member Peter Fraterdeus.

  • The 2021 Tribute Fund Scholarship Grant was awarded to Kate Lehman in honor of CCC member Rosie Kelly.

In 2024, we will award two Tribute Fund Scholarship Grants, one each in honor of CCC members Pam Sussman and John Avila.

Our dear friend and colleague, Pam Sussman, passed away on September 21, 2022. She was an active member and instructor for the CCC and a faithful attendee at the South Side/Northwest Indiana study group. She was a generous person, always willing to share her resources, time, instruction and smile with those around her. She handed down all she knew to her many grateful students throughout the years. In addition to book arts, Pam—a lifelong artist—spent years honing her talents in various media, including rubber stamping, fabric arts, miniature book art, calligraphy, quilting, sewing, painting, origami and graphic arts. Pam’s generous spirit lives on, not only in her family, but in all who had the privilege of knowing her. She is deeply missed. We are pleased to honor Pam through a 2023 and 2024 Tribute Fund Scholarship Grant

 

John Avila was an active member of the CCC for many years, serving in several different capacities including President and Special Events Director. He was passionate about the “art of beautiful writing,” and in particular the Blackletter hand. John was big-hearted and generously shared his passion with others by teaching classes for many years throughout the Chicagoland area. For beginner students, John assembled and donated shoe boxes stuffed full of materials and supplies he felt they needed to start their calligraphy studies. John was also a welcome regular at the annual calligraphy conferences and would frequently return to Chicago and delight his fellow calligraphers with stories and wonderful items for show-and-tell. John passed away on June 30, 2013, and it is with deep affection and appreciation that we honor John with a 2024 Tribute Fund Scholarship Grant.

 

About the Scholarship Grant

One or more Tribute Fund Scholarship Grants of up to $500 USD may be awarded annually to deserving applicants who meet the grant requirements. The scholarship grant is designed to provide financial support for furthering knowledge of calligraphy and its related arts and may be used for workshop or conference registration fees, online learning or new endeavors of calligraphic study. Applicants of all skill levels will receive equal consideration.

More information can be found here: Call for Entries.

Questions? Please contact vicepresident@chicagocalligraphy.org.

Important Dates

June 15, 2024 – Scholarship grant applications are available on the CCC website.

October 1, 2024 – Call for entries closes at 11:59 p.m. (CST).

December 1, 2024 – Applicants notified of their status.

Requirements

  • Any member who has been a paid member of the Chicago Calligraphy Collective for at least the past two years is eligible to apply.

  • Applicant must be 18 years of age or older.

  • This grant is not based on financial need or skill level, but will be awarded to an applicant who demonstrates a desire to expand their calligraphic knowledge and experience.

  • The grant recipient is required to reciprocate at the conclusion of their grant cycle in the form of a presentation, workshop or demonstration in addition to an in-depth article for the CCC newsletter on the contents of your studies or experiences.

  • The grant recipient must agree to allow the Chicago Calligraphy Collective to use their name, story, photographs and/or images of their artwork in the newsletter, website and other promotional materials as well as on social media, including Facebook and Instagram.

  • Collective’s Officers, Directors, members of the Selection Committee and major donors and their families are disqualified from receiving scholarship grants.

Application Procedure

Complete the application form which includes Personal Contact Information, Certification Signature, Promotional Release, Biographical Statement, Membership Status, Purpose of Applying, Special Circumstances, Projected Costs and Reciprocity Commitment.

  • Please submit three examples of your current artwork exhibiting your passion for calligraphy or its related arts. Images must be high resolution JPEGs, minimum 1024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. Please submit three examples of your current artwork (practice pages or finished pieces) exhibiting your passion for calligraphy or its related arts.

  • Do NOT include your name, email address or website information in any of the essay answers or on your artwork to ensure anonymity during the blind selection process.

  • Review the Tribute Fund Scholarship Grant Checklist.  


2022 & 2023 Tribute Fund Scholarship Grant Awardees

 

Nancy Belda

Nancy was awarded a TFSG in December 2023 in honor of Peter Fraterdeus.  She plans to attend Roman Holiday, the 2024 Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Conference hosted by the CCC at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa June 22-29, 2024.

Tatiana deFigueiredo Gebert

Tatiana was awarded a TFSG in December 2023 in honor of Pam Sussman.  She plans to attend Roman Holiday, the 2024 Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Conference hosted by the CCC at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa June 22-29, 2024.