Society of Scribes

Photo: Roger Bamber

The Society of Scribes is pleased to present Ewan Clayton, calligrapher and teacher, who grew up near Ditchling, Sussex, the home of Edward Johnston.

In this slide talk with Christopher Calderhead, the editor of Letter Arts Review, Ewan will touch on his forthcoming history of writing, The Golden Thread (Atlantic Books)… his recent research into Baskerville, Roman type, and 18th Century writing masters… and what he calls “the ancestors in the attic,” the three figures who loomed over this childhood: Edward Johnston, Eric Gill, and David Jones.

A reception and refreshments will follow.

Friday, May 17, 2013 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
School of Visual Arts Annex, 214 E. 21st Street (off Third Avenue)
Free and open to the public!

Linda will demonstrate how to use the pointed brush for flourishes, and for an elegant hand like copperplate. The beauty of the brush marker is that it’s portable — you can take it anywhere, no pen and ink necessary and it can be used on paper napkins, rocks, shells, almost any surface. Everyone is welcome to just watch, but active participation is also encouraged! We will be using pointed brush markers, small size is best. Bring what you have… Linda’s favorites are Faber-Castell PITT brush markers and the Pentel Sign Pen. Any color is fine.

Hope you can join us for this fun and inspiring “hands-on” lecture!

When you care enough to *make* the very best! Come and celebrate Mom (or any special person in your life) with a hand-made card… We’ll provide light refreshments and an assortment of card-making supplies. Free and open to the public.

Friday, April 19, 2013 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
School of Visual Arts Annex, 214 E. 21st Street (off Third Avenue)
Free and open to the public!

The relationship between word and image is the fundamental principle of the modern world of communication, with electronic media able to cheaply present both. Graphic designers constantly work to present ideas using photographs, drawings, paintings, hand-lettering and type, adding animation to enhance it all. As calligraphers, we also work within this realm, though with a smaller range of media, presenting our texts in ways that enhance their content. Annie breaks these ideas down into a number of chapters: Word AND Image, Word AS Image, Image IN Word, Word IN Image, and Letters AS Image. She’ll present the work of other artists of influence; and show her own work as well, spanning over thirty years of investigation.

Free and open to the public!

We’ll have light refreshments and a calligraphy demonstration (or two). Come join us and feel free to bring your current projects to show and share!

This is a illuminated Qur'an page in Kufic script, late 9th century, Near East or North Africa.

Saturday, February 23, 2013 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm
The National Arts Club, Sculpture Court
15 Gramercy Park South (between Park Avenue and Irving Place)

Free and open to the public.
Refreshments served.

Our featured speaker will be Elinor Holland.

Kufic style calligraphy is the earliest recognized form of beautiful writing in the Arabic language. Named for a town in Iraq called Kufa, the term actually encompasses a number of different styles of writing and lettering. While little is known about who wrote it or their methods, many samples survive on parchment, paper, tiles, wood, stone and other mediums. We will help ourselves to this lovely historical eye-candy and gain a little insight into its mysteries.

Please join us!

Free and open to the public!

We’ll have cookies and punch…
A calligraphy demonstration (or two), a rubber stamp make-n-take… Feel free to bring your current projects to show and share!

You can make cards to take home or donate to local hospitals and Ronald McDonald House…

Hope you’ll join us!

Tuesday, November 13 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
at the National Arts Club
15 Gramercy Park South
(between Park Avenue and Irving Place)

Join us for a “Gallery Talk” and light refreshments at the opening reception of our annual members’ show on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 6pm.

November 11 to December 7, 2012
at the National Arts Club
15 Gramercy Park South
(between Park Avenue and Irving Place)

Our 2012 Members’ Exhibition, Linear Language, will be on view from November 11 through December 7, 2012 in the Trask Gallery at the National Arts Club. The Gallery is open weekdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Opening Reception: Tuesday, November 13th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Light refreshments will be served.

To submit artwork, please download the Entry Form

Friday, November 2, 2012
6:30 pm
School of Visual Arts (SVA) Annex
214 East 21st Street, Manhattan
(between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
This lecture is free and open to the public

In an amazing moment in time, the Romans added geometry to the shapes of letters written by their predecessors, the Etruscans, and produced a collection of shapes that have dominated the written word for two thousand years. They were difficult to execute with a quill, and were neglected in the book arts for some time, used only as Versals in illuminated manuscripts. But first with the Renaissance, when manuscripts were much more painstakingly crafted, and then with the invention of moveable type, the Roman letter came into its own as the dominant letterform of our own age. You read them every day, everywhere you go, but have you looked at them recently? This lecture will take you through a menu of ancient inscriptions, manuscripts, drawings and typefaces, with some wonderful modern interpretations for dessert.