This award was created during the 2015-16 session in memory of member Sheriff Jim Murphy who sadly died in March 2015. Jim joined the group in 2001 and fellow members felt that the award in his name was a fitting tribute to a keen calligrapher who was also a friendly, enthusiastic, generous and supportive group member and friend.
At the end of our May Annual Exhibition of members' work a "Best Exhibit" is chosen with the calligrapher becoming custodian of the award during the following September to May. S/he also receives a certificate which is kept permanently. Prizewinners to date are:
- May 2016 - Jim Bassett for "Fireworks"
- May 2017 - Alan Kay for "They Told Me"
- September 2018 - Francesca Valbonesi for "Inferno", "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso"
- October 2019 - Francesca Valbonesi for "Mountain Thoughts" by John Muir*
- May 2023 - Ted Gardner for "Canadian Boat Song" *Shown with kind permission of Sheila Robertson's family*
- July 2024 - Keith Miller for "White Vine Alphabet"
- July 2025 - Robert Cook for "Digits of Pi"
Images of the winning exhibits are shown below (Please click for larger images and to view the gallery):-
* Extract from Linnie Marsh Wolfe's "John Of The Mountains", Ch 6 Mountain Thoughts, The Sierra p92, John Muir Papers, Holt-Atherton Special Collections and Archives, University of the Pacific Library. ©1984 Muir-Hanna Trust
