Friday, March 1, 2013 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm
SVA Annex, 214 E. 21st Street (off Third Avenue)
Free and open to the public!
We’ll have light refreshments, a calligraphy demonstration (or two), and a simple rubber stamping make-n-take. 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.
Following Elinor’s talk, we’ll hold a short General Meeting and election of the new board. (We’re happy to welcome back Barry Morentz, who’ll be re-joining our Workshops Committee.) Here are our candidates for the 2013 Board of Governors…
V. A. Barrow (*) has loved calligraphy since attending the H.S. of Fashion Industries where she majored in Fashion Design. Her introduction to her first calligraphy hand came about when she drew a Halloween costume and mused aloud about some writing to go along with it and a classmate complied with a Gothic hand. Since then V has taken classes at Stuyvesant H.S. adult education, Botanical Gardens, SVA, private classes and of course classes through SoS. She continues to take classes as often as she can.
Janet Barry’s (*) interest in calligraphy goes back several years with a love for the beauty and history of the art. Currently she serves as treasurer and registrar for SoS.
Cynthia Dantzic (*) studied calligraphy at Yale and has been teaching at Long Island University since 1964, where she was promoted to Senior Professor. Her courses include drawing, color, painting, 2D design and calligraphy (Western and Non-Western). She has served on the board for several years as programs coordinator. She is currently working on a book for Schiffer, Ltd. entitled 100 New York Calligraphers which includes many SoS members.
Judy Kastin (*) is a freelance calligrapher who previously served on the SoS Board for eighteen years. She rejoined in 2011 as workshop chair. Judy is the co-author of the last two editions of The Speedball Textbook and Lettering Arts, and author of 100 Keys to Great Calligraphy.
Eva Kokoris (*) is a freelance calligrapher and designer with an avid interest in the lettering arts. She volunteered for special events before being elected to the board in 2007 and subsequently served as president for three years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the Mannes College of Music and is currently on the board.
Barry Morentz is a freelance calligrapher, bookbinder, boxmaker, and instructor residing in Manhattan where he operates a studio quite appropriately in the shadow of the New York Public Library. He has been totally involved in calligraphy for 35 years, and served on the Board of Governors from 1979-1991, including 8 years as Workshops Chairman, and Faculty Chairman for Innovations ’86, the SoS sponsored Conference in Hoboken. He has taught workshops throughout the US, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and is directing much of his attention now to the future of calligraphy and its great legacy in Western culture.
Chi Nguyen (*) freelances and teaches calligraphy/rubber stamping for the UFT Retiree Program and privately. She has served on the board since 1998 as membership chair.
Anna Pinto (*) is a freelance calligrapher and calligraphy instructor living in Hoboken, NJ. After editing the newsletter and serving on the Board in the ’80s, she is back editing Notes from New York with Rosemary Kracke. She is thankful for the many friendships and calligraphic opportunities that the SoS has made possible over the last 30 years.
Nancy Redgate Favorito (*) has been serving the board of the SoS as recording secretary since 2009. She has taken many classes and workshops over the past several years. While primarily focused on pointed pen, she is slowly expanding her skill set and is thankful for the Society of Scribes for providing opportunities to do so.
Emily Brown Shields, (*) calligrapher and lettering artist, has taught, freelanced and was employed by Steuben Glass for 11 years designing calligraphic inscriptions and monograms. She is a founding member of the SoS.
Susan Steele’s (*) search for instruction in the art of “beautiful writing” led her to the SoS. She has been working as a calligrapher for many years and had a previous 15-year career in graphic design. SoS has provided her with a constant source of inspiration and local contacts within the calligraphy field.
(*) Denotes returning board members.
We look forward to serving in the next year, and want to remind everyone that help is always needed! If you’d like to join us, or attend one of our monthly board meetings, please contact us at info@societyofscribes.org
Another treat in store for us this weekend: Longtime member Nathan Simmons has very generously donated a collection of calligraphy and art-related books and materials that once belonged to Martin Oberstein, a colleague of Arnold Banks. Attendees will be invited to give these treasures a good home — and we hope Martin would be pleased!
Friday, February 1, 2013 from 6:30 to 9pm
School of Visual Arts Annex, 214 E. 21st Street (off Third Avenue)
Free and open to the public!
Our “Holiday Card-Making Party” went so well, that we’re doing it again! What could be better than crafting hand-made Valentines to send to your loved ones (or donate to our local Ronald McDonald House)?
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!
Hope you’ll join us!
Friday, December 7, 2012 from 6:30 to 9pm
School of Visual Arts Annex, 214 E. 21st Street (off Third Avenue)
Free and open to the public!
We’ll have cookies and punch…
A calligraphy demonstration (or two), a rubber stamp make-n-take…
perhaps a vendor or two: (marbled scarves, watercolor cards, Brause nibs, art supplies, etc.)
You can make cards to take home or donate to local hospitals and nursing homes…
Hope you’ll join us!
(Please stay tuned for more details as they are confirmed…)
The event “Word Paintings: A Slide Lecture” scheduled for Friday November 2, and the workshop “Drawing for the Cowardly Calligrapher” scheduled for this weekend, November 3-4, have both been canceled due to Hurricane Sandy. We plan on re-scheduling sometime in 2013.
** We have made the difficult decision to CANCEL this year’s Holiday Fair at The Brotherhood Synagogue. **
Many of our members are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Our hearts go out to those who have been hard-hit, and we look forward to getting together at a future time…
Calligraphy supplies from Paper & Ink Arts!
You can order supplies by web or phone (800.736.7772).
November 11th to December 7th, 2012
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.
Join us for a “Gallery Talk” and light refreshments.
For an index of artwork exhibited, please download LIST
Our Fall 2012 Classes & Workshops are now posted!
To view courses and register visit our Classes & Workshops page.
by Annie Cicale
See you in September!
Fall 2012 Classes & Workshops will be announced in late August.
Be sure and check back then for a list of courses on our Classes & Workshops page.
Friday, April 20, 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
Calligraphers everywhere can learn so much from studying the art of engrossing. Flourishing in the US from the late 1800s through mid 1900s, this very impressive art form uses not only a variety of lettering hands, but also techniques that have all but been forgotten. Used for certificates, resolutions and memorials, engrossing encompasses border techniques, photo inclusion, title flourishing, watercolor techniques for title names, acanthus leaves, gilding, shading and so much more. These techniques can be just as useful today. Learning a few small decorative techniques can add so much to a lettering project today. I will be showing images from the Healey Collection, the collection of Zaner Bloser originals that shows the Penman’s Journal covers and artwork accumulated over the years and now housed at The University of Scranton Weinberg Memorial Library. From the days of the Healey Collection through today, I will be talking about the year long master class in the art of engrossing that was held in 2008-2009 for the first time in over 50 years. The scope of work is truly amazing and inspiring.
