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Philatelic News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2002
Stamp Release #02-025
International Calligraphy Contest 'Pushes The Envelope'
WASHINGTON - The common envelope gets its moment in the spotlight when calligraphers and artists from around the world compete to create beautiful, handcrafted designs that will grace the front of envelopes in the eighth annual Graceful Envelope Contest, sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service and the Washington, D.C. Calligraphers Guild.
The international contest will feature envelopes addressed with hand-executed calligraphy or fine lettering.
Impartial judges from the Postal Service and the calligraphic and arts communities will select 50 envelopes as winners. All entries must be postmarked no later than Thursday, Aug. 1, 2002. Complete rules, as well as images of last year's winning envelopes, are available online at www.calligraphersguild.org.
This year's theme, "Greetings From America," is based on the new set of 50 postage stamps celebrating the unique character of each state. Contest entrants are not required to use these stamps as postage on their envelope. Rather, they are encouraged to incorporate the theme in a creative and artistic way while using hand-executed calligraphy or fine lettering to address the envelope.
"The Postal Service binds the nation together," says Azeezaly S. Jaffer, Vice President, Public Affairs for the Postal Service. "Millions of letters and cards are sent through the mail every day, reaching every community across the nation. We love the idea of elevating the envelope, something we tend to take for granted, to a beautiful work of art."
All current stamps and other philatelic products, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available by calling toll free 1 800 STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of current stamps and gift items are available online at the Postal Store at www.usps.com.
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Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 137 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $65 billion, it is the world's leading provider of postal services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 207 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves 7 million customers each day at its 40,000 retail locations nationwide.
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