Hudson’s internationally-recognized calligraphist continues studies
Gerry Jackson Kerdok of Hudson has honed her calligraphy skills for over 40 years. Cumulatively for three decades as an educator, she shared her love for creatively-designed letters with both children and adults. Her artwork is exhibited in juried competitions at prominent venues worldwide.
Along the way, she continues to study her favorite art form.
“The beauty of any art form is to find joy in something that you do by hand and can get lost in,” she said. “It’s not necessarily to be the best calligrapher in the world, but to find your joy.”
Jackson Kerdok took many art classes at Framingham State College (now known as Framingham State University), where she majored in elementary education and graduated in 1966. Art was among the subjects she taught for six years as a Framingham elementary school teacher.
“I’m of the age when there was no maternity leave; if you were going to have a baby, you either had to come right back to school or stay home,” she explained. “I stayed home and decided to take a commercial art class – a little, tiny piece of it was calligraphy. I got hooked!”
While working as a commercial artist, she built her calligraphy portfolio by donating her talent to local nonprofit organizations. In 1990, she began a 23-year stint teaching basic lettering and related arts at Worcester Art Museum. In 1991, Hudson selectmen presented her with a citation for her numerous volunteer efforts.
Networking with calligraphy guilds, she learned that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., created the Graceful Envelope Contest in 1995. The Smithsonian administered the contest until delegating responsibility to Washington Calligraphers Guild in 2001.
Jackson Kerdok has entered artwork into the contest most years from 1995 to 2018 and achieved 16 wins including three “Best of Show.” Nearby in Maryland for another commitment at the time, she was able to view her first entry in Washington, D.C.
“I’ve had opportunities to study at weeklong international assemblies of lettering artists,” she noted. “I was at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and got to go to Washington and see my piece at the postal museum. It was wonderful!”
She also attended Washington National Cathedral’s exhibit opening with her 1999 entry. Her most recent entry there in 2017 was chosen for publication on brochures, posters and notecards.
When the Eiffel Tower hosted Salon du Design in 2000, her artwork placed in the top 10.
“You can never learn enough,” she said. “There’s always something new to learn or different ways of doing something.”
Source: Community Advocate
Hudson’s internationally-recognized calligraphist continues studies