Calligraphy & Letterform Associations

Below you’ll find a short list of calligraphy and letterform associations where you can find like-minded people. If you still use Facebook, you'll find many more groups over there as well. I'm a member of Society of Scribes and Letterform Archive in the US.

CALLIGRAPHY ASSOCIATIONS

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1. IAMPETH

2. Society of Scribes (SoS)

3. Society of Scribes and Illuminators (SSI)

4. Friends of Calligraphy

6. Calligraphy Society of Victoria

7.  Letterform Archive

8. The Berlin Calligraphy Collection

9. The Herb Lubalin Study Center Of Design And Typography

10. Westcoast Calligraphy Society

11. The Washington Calligrapher's Guild

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1. IAMPETH (International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting)

Founded in 1949, IAMPETH is the oldest and largest penmanship organization in the U.S., dedicated to practicing and preserving the arts of calligraphy, engrossing, and fine penmanship.

IAMPETH is an international, non-profit association over 1500 members strong dedicated to practicing and preserving the beautiful arts of calligraphy, engrossing and fine penmanship. The organisation is completely volunteer founded, organised, and maintained.

Their Annual Conference, held every year since 1949, is a wonderful week of learning the pen arts taught by some of the best penmen and calligraphic artists in the country.

• Location: United States

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2. Society of Scribes (SoS)

Founded in 1974, and based in New York City, Society of Scribes is a non-profit educational organisation which fosters the appreciation, understanding and acceptance of calligraphy as a fine art.

The Society promotes the study, teaching and practice of calligraphy and related disciplines not just to our local members, but to lettering lovers around the world. It also encourages fellowship and the exchange of ideas through its speakers, programs, workshops, exhibits and publications.

• Location: New York City, United States

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3. Society of Scribes & Illuminators (SSI)

Established in 1921, SSI is one of the world’s most respected calligraphy organisations, promoting the study, practice, and teaching of calligraphy and illumination.

In 1898, 26-year-old Edward Johnston gave up his medical studies in Edinburgh and moved to London where he subsequently began reviving the practice of formal penmanship. In 1921 his students founded the Society of Scribes & Illuminators to promote and advance high standards of craftsmanship in writing and illumination.

These aims remain at the forefront of the Society today. From the beginning, Members, later Craft Members and now Fellows, were elected by their peers on the standard of their workmanship and ability to interpret and express their ideas using calligraphy and illumination in a contemporary manner.

Exhibition of work still remains the pathway to election to Fellowship. In 1952 the SSI introduced Lay Membership and gained a body of people who support and advance calligraphy and illumination at all levels.

• Location: United Kingdom
  

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4. Friends of Calligraphy

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5. Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Society (CLAS)

One of the largest and most supportive western calligraphy and lettering societies worldwide, offering resources, workshops, and publications.

At the heart of the  Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society (CLAS) beats the passion and dedication of a diverse group of individuals and committees.

Our committee members are the driving force behind CLAS, tirelessly working to organise events, exhibitions, and educational initiatives that celebrate and promote calligraphy and lettering. They bring together their expertise, creativity, and a deep commitment to the craft to ensure that CLAS remains a vibrant and inclusive community for all.

Every person involved in CLAS, whether they’re attending workshops, participating in exhibitions, or simply spreading the word about our society, plays a crucial role in shaping the vibrant tapestry of our community.

• Location: United Kingdom
  

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6. Calligraphy Society of Victoria

The Calligraphy Society of Victoria is a group of 200+ with the singular aim of promoting the love and appreciation of Calligraphy through regular meetings, workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions.

• Location: Naarm (Melbourne), Australia
  

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7. Letterform Archive

The Archive was founded by Rob Saunders, a collector of the letter arts for over 40 years, as a place to share his private collection with the public.

They opened to visitors in February 2015 and now offer hands-on access to a curated collection of over 100,000 items related to lettering, typography, calligraphy, and graphic design, spanning thousands of years of history.

• Location: San Francisco, United States
  

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8. The Berlin Calligraphy Collection

The idea of establishing a collection of calligraphy works in Berlin’s Akademie der Künste dates back to the initiative of Hans-Joachim Burgert, one of Germany's most significant calligraphers.

Beginning with his gifting of 70 works of his own and thanks largely to the esteem in which his opus is held and to his international network of professional and personal contacts it was possible, in a short period of time, to build up a remarkable collection providing a representative cross-section of calligraphy in the second half of the 20th century. The Collection was put together from permanent loans and donations, and gifted works continue to form the basis of its growth. The Collection focuses on three areas - Latin script, variations in form and the practical approach to writing characters.

• Location: Berlin, Germany
  

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9. The Herb Lubalin Study Center Of Design And Typography

Opened in 1985, the Study Center was created in order to preserve an unprecedented resource:  Herb Lubalin’s vast collection of work. Its goal was to provide the design community with a means to honor Lubalin and to study his innovative work.

 Herb Lubalin (1918–1981) is best known for his wildly illustrative typography and his groundbreaking work for the magazines Avant Garde, Eros, and Fact. The Study Center’s core collection includes an extensive archive of his work, including drawings, promotional, editorial and advertising design, typeface design, posters, logos, and other materials dating from 1950 to 1981.

The collection also includes work by other eminent designers including Otl Aicher, Anthon Beeke, Lester Beall, Will Burtin, Lou Dorfsman, Karl Gerstner, Tibor Kalman, Alvin Lustig, Elaine Lustig Cohen, The Push Pin Studios, Paul Rand, Bradbury Thompson, Massimo Vignelli, and many more. There is also a library of books and magazines about design and typography, an extensive collection of posters, myriad type specimen books, and pamphlets within the archive.

• Location: NYC, United States
  

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10. Westcoast Calligraphy Society

The Westcoast Calligraphy Society is an enthusiastic group of people with a common bond–a love of all things calligraphic. We like to share our knowledge of design, colour, illustration, bookbinding, paper making and our other talents with everyone interested in the art of letters. Many of our members teach beginning and more advanced calligraphy throughout the Lower Mainland.

The Society began life in September 1978 as the Society for Italic Handwriting, B. C. Branch. As the Society grew and its members’ interests expanded, the focus broadened to all types of calligraphy and in June 1986, the name was changed to Westcoast Calligraphy Society.

• Location: Vancouver, Canada
  

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11. The Washington Calligraphers Guild

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 organisation, the Guild was founded in 1976 by acclaimed calligrapher Sheila Waters and her students. 

In this site you'll find a lecture by Sheila Waters on the opening evening of the Letterforum Conference of the Washington Calligraphers Guild, Washington DC, August 6, 1988, to an audience of over 700, after an introduction by Rose Folsom.

• Location: Washington, US
  

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