top of page
WCG abc/xyz logo

About the
WCG

The Washington Calligraphers Guild promotes the study and practice of calligraphy while fostering a wider appreciation and deeper understanding of artistic hand lettering and related disciplines. A non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization, the Guild was founded in 1976 by acclaimed calligrapher Sheila Waters and her students. 

​

✧  Please join us  âœ§

 and enjoy the friendships that develop as you enhance your artistry alongside creative people who share your interests. Among the many resources we provide to members are workshops and monthly programs to expand skills, scholarships for continued study, links of interest and free listings for freelancers who accept commissions. Membership is open to lettering artists of all skill levels, from professional scribes to enthusiastic beginners, and also to non-calligraphers who appreciate the lettering arts.

​

An all-volunteer organization now approaching its 50th year, the Guild has a proud history of members who give back as officers or working on committees. We are recognized as one of the most active groups in the world, as evidenced by our international membership roster, acclaimed journal Scripsit, hosting three Letterforums (International Calligraphy Conferences) and sponsorship of the Graceful Envelope Contest, now in its 30th year. 

✧ Visit WCG on Instagram and Facebook​.✧

Rosemary Buczek acanthus.jpg

WCG's February 12 Program:

​​

Acanthus Borders
with Rosemary Buczek

Wed Feb 12, 7:30-9pm ET on Zoom

Zoom opens at 7 for conversation.
Members free, no need to register. 
Non-members $10, register here.


Master penman Rosemary Buczek  incorporates acanthus leaves into her illuminated commissions, which she will share during her 90-min presentation. To help us plan our own ornamentation, she will draw the leaf a few different ways and show us how to create the border--plus demonstrate a simple painting technique.

Sheila_Waters_Roundel-of-the-Seasons

abcxyz by Charlie Hughes, © Washington Calligraphers Guild.
WCG logo and Roundel of the Seasons by Sheila Waters.

WCG's Graceful Envelope Contest Call for Entries 

Theme: Go Fourth!

Please spread the word among adult artists and to schools because student entries are judged in three grade categories.​ 
Postmark deadline: 3/31/25.
No entry fee!

 

The Fall Scripsit is out! Don't miss this tribute to Michael Clark, including his calligraphic and typographic portfolio and those who influenced him.

Current WCG members are receiving this now. To purchase.

Upcoming Programs & Workshops

  • Feb 19, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
    via Zoom
    President Elissa Krieg will lead discussions of Guild goals, financial issues and committee plans.
  • Mar 05, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST
    via Zoom
    Pointed pen phenom Nina Tran will be teaching two workshops for us later this month, but in this 90-minute program she will guide us in dismantling the components of flourishes so we can learn how they work, and thus how to add flourishes to Copperplate capitals and build them up as desired.
  • Mar 19, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
    via Zoom
    President Elissa Krieg will lead discussions of Guild goals, financial issues and committee plans.
  • Mar 28, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM EDT
    Vienna Art Center, 243 Church St NW, Suite 100 LL, Vienna, VA 22180
    See why calligraphy enthusiasts, Nina Tran’s students and social media followers rave about her work and teaching skills. Her Copperplate Bootcamp is limited to 12 in-person students for maximum attention from Nina; suitable for all levels; handouts will be emailed to all students.
  • Mar 29, 2025, 9:30 AM EDT – Mar 30, 2025, 4:30 PM EDT
    Vienna Art Center & Online via Zoom, 243 Church St NW, Suite 100 LL, Vienna, VA 22180 USA
    Sat & Sun, March 29-30, 2025, 9:30-4:30 ET, limited to 15 in-person students at Vienna Art Center and 25 online via Zoom. Join us for this HYBRID workshop and see firsthand why Nina’s 61,000 (and growing!) Instagram followers love to watch her every stroke!
  • Apr 09, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
    via Zoom
    Black Hours--15th century personal prayer books written on parchment dyed black--became a passion for Tiarna Zupan due to one of her mentors in the Society for Creative Anachronism. In this free program, Tiarna will discuss the history of black Books of Hours and some ways they were created.
  • Apr 16, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
    via Zoom
    President Elissa Krieg will lead discussions of Guild goals, financial issues and committee plans.
Michael Sull bird

Art:
Michael Sull

AnnPope-IlluminatedBorder.jpg

Statement of Purpose

The Washington Calligraphers Guild, Inc., exists to promote the appreciation of calligraphy, its history and applications; to foster a wider understanding of calligraphy as an art and as a science; to conduct studies, to undertake research, and to carry out education programs directed toward these ends.
Writing needs meaning, whereas calligraphy expresses itself above all
through forms and gestures. It elevates the soul and illuminates the feelings.

-Wang Hsi-chih
bottom of page