Next meeting: Saturday, March 27, noon-3 p.m. -- "The Business of Calligraphy" panel discussion
Professional calligraphers Julian Waters, Tamara Stoneburner, and Chris Tischer will discuss various aspects of their work as business owners, such as how to communicate clearly with clients, how to advertise, and how to present finished work. There will be slides and some handouts and an open Q&A session. This program is designed to interest calligraphers of all levels--whether you have a business now, aspire to own a business one day, or are curious how artists handle the business side of their worklife. You will pick up many useful hints that will be helpful for all of us in applying our calligraphy and design skills. 

April meeting: Ieuan Rees on the art and craft of calligraphy, Friday, April 9, 7-9 pm
While here in DC teaching a master class for our Guild, Ieuan Rees has graciously agreed to speak at our program meeting on Friday evening, April 9. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet Ieuan and hear the thoughtful comments of one of Britain's most versatile artists, who is respected worldwide as among the very best calligraphers and carvers of slate and stone now working. As an added feature at this meeting, we will distribute free sample copies of an issue of Letter Arts Review that focuses on lettercarving (Vol. 21, No. 2), generously furnished by LAR publisher, John Neal. Attendees can also purchase the remaining copies of a past Scripsit (Vol. 27, No. 1) highlighting the work of the four honorary members of our Guild, including Ieuan Rees. 

Concord-St. Andrews Church Social Hall
5910 Goldsboro Road (Goldsboro at River Road)
Bethesda, MD 20817

Contact Marie Lenker at 703-979-4876 or marielenker@gmail.com for information. Bring a friend! Our meetings are free and open to the public.

rogram meetings offer the fellowship of calligraphic colleagues. Each meeting features a well-respected lettering artist who shares information, slides and demonstrations on a variety of topics. Meetings are held bimonthly from September to May (except January) and are free and open to the public. Information about meetings and other Guild activities is published in the Bulletin.

All meetings, unless otherwise stated, are held at 7 pm in the Social Hall at Concord-St. Andrews Church, 5910 Goldsboro Road at the intersection of River and Goldsboro Roads in Bethesda, Maryland. Directions: From the Beltway (Rt. 495) take the River Road exit (39) south towards Washington. Turn left onto Goldsboro Rd. The entrance to the church parking lot is about 40 yards on the right. The Social Hall entrance is the first door on the left side of the church (as you're facing the front of the church). Program meetings are free and open to the public.

Map of meeting location (Goldsboro Rd at River Rd)

Future program meetings:

• 	Carol Barton (left) discussed her pop-up books at the Guild's May 2008 program meeting.

  Annual Meeting: Friday, May 21, 6-9 p.m. We will have the business meeting and election of officers, followed by socializing and a dinner (pot luck), followed by a performance of traditional Hawaiian dance in which the performers explain their traditions of gesture and movement.

Board meetings* are now in a wheelchair-accessible room. The parlor is in the basement; use the elevator located next to the social hall.

• Monday, April 5, 7 pm
• Monday, May 3, 7 pm
  
  *Open to all members. At Guild Board meetings, the annually elected Board of Directors develops and carries out Guild policies as well as leads the committees of volunteers that prepare Guild activities. Many board members are relatively new to calligraphy, but devoted in their interest. Come to a Board meeting to find out how you can help the Guild grow!

Click here to see highlights of past meetings

Several WCG members teach introductory calligraphy classes in the Washington area:

• Sheila Waters’ private classes. 851 Boyle Road, Fairfield, PA 17320, two miles from Emmitsburg, MD (one hour from Baltimore or Rockville). Instruction or individual help on any project or hand. Sheila teaches all day on alternate Saturdays. Students of all levels can come and go as they wish, starting from 10 a.m. Fee is $40 per visit. All levels are welcome and beginners can learn a lot by being exposed to work brought by more experienced students. Location: 851 Boyle Road, Fairfield, PA. Phone 717-642-6637 for dates or email.
  About Sheila Waters.
• Private lessons in Northwest DC: contact Ann Pope.

• Smithsonian Institution Residents Associate Program in Washington, DC: Calligraphy classes on Wednesdays, morning and evening with Carolyn Gillin and Shane Perry. Course catalog. Call 202-357-3030.
• The Art League in Alexandria, VA: Saturday mornings with Hermineh Miller. See the course description or call 703-683-2323. ADDED: Winter term on Thursdays, 12:30-3 pm.
• Fairfax County Adult Education in Fairfax, VA. Various classes in 4 locations. Course catalog.
• Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo, MD: classes for adults and children by Alana Maubury Hunter at the Feather Tree Hill Calligraphy Yurt. See the Glen Echo course list.
• The Arlington County, VA Adult Education program offers two six-week calligraphy classes four times a year. The first class is for beginners and presents the fundamentals. In the second class, students continue learning by applying the fundamentals in various projects and alphabets. See course catalog as well as beginning class information. For further information contact the instructor, Charles Smith.
• Marie Lenker of Arlington teaches calligraphy from short introductory workshop sessions to ongoing classes for all ages, children through adults.
• Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Maryland: Christine Tischer teaches various hands.
• Boston, MA: Intensive Three-Month Calligraphy and Illumination course at North Bennet Street School, taught by WCG member Maryanne Grebenstein of The Abbey Studio. [More]

Washington-area courses in related arts:

The Brookside Gardens School of Botanical Art & Illustration in Bethesda is a certificate program that also offers a number of electives of interest to calligraphers, such as Botanical Illumination and Birds in Medieval Manuscripts.

The Washington Calligraphers Guild offers weekend workshops in the spring and fall, taught by internationally renowned calligraphers as well as local talent. (View photos and artwork from recent workshops.) Aimed at all levels of skill, the workshops are held at various locations in the Washington, DC area. Guild members pay discounted workshop fees and receive priority in registration. Contact Chris Tischer with questions or suggestions.

Purchase gift certificates to WCG workshops
--the ideal gift for lettering enthusiasts!

Download order form (pdf)

2010 WORKSHOP BULLETIN (pdf)

2010 Workshop Schedule
Download the Workshop Bulletin for full descriptions and registration information April 9-14: Master class with Ieuan Rees -- SEE BELOW April 24-25: From the Beginning (pointed pen) with Lee Ann Clark at Columbia Art Center May 1-2: Wet and Wild with Jacqueline Sullivan at Vienna Arts Society Sept. 25-26: Pointed Pen Sketchbook with Pat Blair at Vienna Arts Society Oct. 8-11: Landscape and Lettering with Laurie Doctor at Vienna Arts Society Oct. 23-24: Fabulous Inviting Invitations with Barbara Close at Columbia Art Center Nov. 6-7: Elucidare--Balancing Lettering with Imagination with Suzanne Moore at Columbia Art Center Dec. 4-5: Get Ready to Show with Sheila Waters at her Fairfield, PA studio
A Master Class with Ieuan Rees: "Let the Nib and You Do the Talking" April 9-14, 2010 (Friday through Wednesday) Vienna Arts Society, 115 Pleasant Street NW, Vienna, VA 22180 The Guild is pleased to offer a master class with Ieuan Rees, honorary member of the Washington Calligraphers Guild and one of Britain's most versatile artists and craftsmen in the fields of lettering, letter carving, calligraphy, architectural lettering and graphic communication. Ieuan is traveling to Washington from Wales, U.K., to give us an in-depth study for six full days, beginning on Friday, April 9, 2010, and continuing through the following Wednesday, April 14. This class will be limited to 12 students, but we must have at least ten registered students to maintain the tuition price of $480 per person. The class will meet in the Vienna Arts Society from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. each day. To register, send your name to Chris Tischer with a deposit of $100 (checks payable to Washington Calligraphers Guild). Registration is not complete until Chris has received your deposit. Fees are nonrefundable unless your spot can be filled from a waiting list. This registration is being handled separately from the 2010 WCG Workshop Registration procedures. Quesions? Please contact Chris Tischer, 301-745-4633

Art at right by Patty Leve, who taught Hebrew Calligraphy in 1999.   Below left by Julian Waters, who taught Textured Roman Caps. Center by Theresa Daly, created in Ann Pope's Versals workshop. Below right by Reggie Ezell, who taught his year-long master class in the Washington area in 2005. Photos and artwork from past workshops

~  Washington Calligraphers Guild home page  ~  About the Guild  ~  
~ Exhibits & Special Events  ~  WCG journal Scripsit ~  History of lettering and type ~ 
 ~ How to become a member  ~  Freelance calligraphers in the DC area ~ 
 ~ Links to related websites  ~  Zapf fund to further calligraphy education ~