Calligraphy is defined as “the visual art of decorative handwriting.”

However, for Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Alissa Zhao ’28, it’s more.

Following the theme of “Great Beginnings,” Alissa was named one of four national winners of the Graceful Envelope Contest, hosted by the Washington Calligraphers Guild.

“Winning this contest was a meaningful experience that strengthened my passion for visual art and creative storytelling,” Alissa said. “I’m grateful for the guidance and opportunities WMA has provided, which allowed me to participate in this type of competition and share my artwork with a wider audience.”

Alissa’s work will be showcased on July 11 in Washington, D.C., at the Planet World Museum when the Washington Calligraphers Guild celebrates its 50th anniversary. Her piece will also be displayed in “Scripsit,” the Guild’s journal.

This year’s judges include Ms. Jenny Nicholson, the former calligrapher for the US Department of State.

Alissa used one of the hottest topics in the world as inspiration for her artwork.

“For me, calligraphy is more than just words, but has the ability to express emotion, meaning and storytelling through different writing forms and illustrations,” Alissa explained. My inspiration came from the modern ‘great beginning’ of artificial intelligence. I combined the face of a human and a robot, surrounded by malfunctions and mechanical elements, to represent the beginning of a new era in which humans and AI work together.”

“Alissa is an amazing artist,” WMA Fine & Performing Arts Department faculty member Marvina Lowry-Brook praised. “She is very diligent, focused and creative. Alissa spent many hours working on this 'envelope art’ as one of the many projects we undertook in Winter Design Studio. The theme was ‘Great Beginnings,’ celebrating inventions and movements that were beneficial for society. Alissa chose the theme of AI, Artificial Intelligence, for her work, which she completed in colored pencil.”