Not a Lost Art: Students Take Calligraphy Classes to

In a world of growing technological dependence, it's not uncommon for many to go months without reading handwritten notes or other messages, but the A.K. Smiley Public Library's calligraphy class wanted to remind residents that not only is a handwritten letter something nice to receive, it's also a form of art. On Sunday, Nov. 3, residents gathered to learn more about calligraphy and practice their own handwriting skills to give their handwriting a "characteristic feeling of brilliant penmanship." With intricate strokes using a special calligraphy pigment-inked marker, attendees learned how to write the entire English alphabet in "uncial" writing form, one of many styles of calligraphy used during the 38th century in countries like Italy, England, and in several North African and Turkish countries. Because most of the writing written in Uncial format was during the Medieval times, it was easier for manuscripts to be written entirely in capital letters, explained calligrapher and class instructor Jane Shibata. Shibata, an instructor at Santa Monica College, explained, "Handwritten letter forms should be retained all because of the whole concept of being human beings. We love to record, and digital technology cannot duplicate certain things we can do. We want to continue to pass it on. It is what makes and keeps the human history even more interesting." Kristi Darwick, President of the Society for Calligraphy in Southern California, expressed, "This is my creative outlet. I love the art form, and we are doing this event to share our love (of calligraphy and) getting others involved." Darwick is a Class of 2000 graduate of the University of Redlands, where she received a degree in computer science. Concurrently, she also studied calligraphy at UC Riverside. Redlands resident Laurie Windeknecht planned to use the art for upcoming holiday celebrations. She said, "I have not done calligraphy for about 10 years, and I actually wanted to brush up for the holidays because I think this type of writing looks fantastic on the holiday cards." Beverly Womack, a volunteer and teacher of Gothic Italic, another form of calligraphy, said, "I love teaching, and I love to inspire the whole passion of calligraphy. I think the whole foundation of art itself begins in the art form of lettering. Jane Shibata is doing an awesome job! What she is sharing with everyone is just wonderful, and she is truly thorough with her teachings." Said Darwick, "We would like to spread the word that the University of Riverside is again offering calligraphy classes through their extension program. Calligraphy, the art of beautiful lettering, is a useful skill for graphic artists, as well as a wonderful creative outlet for those in other fields." [END] Event Press Release Free Calligraphy Class What: Presenter Jane Shibata from the Society for Calligraphy will be teaching a free class on calligraphy for anyone interested. The class will focus on the Uncial Hand lettering style. When : Sunday, November 3rd, 2013 @ 2pm Where: The A.K. Smiley Library Assembly Room 125 W. Vine Street Redlands, CA 92373 Cost: Free About the Program: Description: The uncial hand, originating from the third to the eighth centuries, was one of the many lettering styles used in manuscript books. Its simplicity is deceiving–it looks simple to write, but there are many subtleties and details that make it look elegant and regal. We will follow along with markers provided by the library, as Jane Shibata leads us through an introductory demo. We will apply it to a contemporary format, such as a Thanksgiving card. About Presenter: Jane Shibata is an adjunct faculty member in the art department at Santa Monica College and runs a design business, specializing in the lettering arts in Los Angeles. She has taught at many lettering conferences and previously worked as a calligrapher for the city of Los Angeles. Materials List: Calligraphy markers will be provided free of charge. Participants can bring a set of colored pencils if they’d like to add color. Attendants must RSVP to: Kristi Darwick, Outreach Chairperson, Society for Calligraphy at: Outreach@SocietyForCalligraphy.org or at 909-237-6242. For More Information Contact: Daniel Slota, Adult Services Librarian (909) 798-7565 Kimberly's original article: A day of beautiful handwriting, handwriting known as Calligraphy, was taught inside the historic A.K. Smiley Public Library located in the city of Redlands on November 3rd. As a form of art, Calligraphy can be drawn or painted giving a "characteristic feeling of brilliant penmanship." With intricate strokes using a special Calligraphy pigment inked marker, attendees had come to participate and learn how to write the entire alphabet in "Uncial" form. The Uncial form of writing is one of many styles of Calligraphy which was written during the 38th century in the countries Italy, England, and in the North African and Turkish countries. Because most of the writing written in Uncial format was during the Medieval times, it was easier for manuscripts to be written in all capital letters even though, as time passed it began to slightly change due to the shifts of certain religions. Jane Shibata, Calligrapher and instructor from Santa Monica College explained,"Handwritten letter forms should be contained all because of the whole concept of being human beings. We love to record, and digital technology can not duplicate certain things we can do." She then passionately added, "In order to contain this we want to continue to pass it on. It is what makes and keeps the human history even more interesting." Kristi Darwick, President of the Society for Calligraphy in Southern California expresses, "This is my creative outlet. I love the art form, and we are doing this event to share our love with everything, getting others involved." Laurie Windeknecht of Redlands say,"I have not done Calligraphy for about 10 years, and I actually wanted to brush up for the holidays because I think this type of writing looks fantastic on the holiday cards!" Beverly Womack, volunteer and teacher of Gothic Italic, which is another form of Calligraphy shares, "I love teaching, and I love to inspire the whole passion of Calligraphy. I think the whole foundation of art itself, begins in the art form of lettering. Jane Shibata is doing an awesome job! What she is sharing with everyone is just wonderful, and she is truly thorough with her teachings."