Calligraphy exhibition at Leatherby Libraries celebrates history, artistry of lettering

By Camellia Khalvati ’14


The
Society for Calligraphy
and Chapman University’s Leatherby Libraries are joining forces to present the art exhibit “Letters: an expression of culture,” which opens Thursday, Sept. 27, and continues through Nov. 19. The exhibition will be displayed in the Doy and Dee Henley Reading Room and Clarke Gallery Wall.

Historical and contemporary calligraphy will be presented at the exhibition, illustrating the history of civilization through symbols, text and technology. Best artworks from the society’s members will be shown in a variety of forms, from invitations to posters.

There will be several other events associated with the exhibit. From noon to 2 p.m. on Fridays, Oct. 12 and Nov. 2, there will be hands-on demonstrations on the second floor portico of the Leatherby Libraries. Students can attend this drop-in event to try their hand at the art form with professional calligraphers.

Leatherby will also host the director of the
Scripps College Press
and assistant professor of art at
Scripps College
, Professor Kitty Maryatt, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 16, in the Special Collections and Archives library on the fourth floor. Professor Maryatt will speak about artist books and manuscripts, both new and old, using examples from the library’s collections.

In cooperation with the Department of English, students from poetry, creative writing and typography classes will contribute to an improvisational “freeform” activity by creating and speaking poetry as a calligrapher simultaneously interprets it on paper. This unique event is scheduled from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, on the third floor Malloy Performance Portico in the Leatherby Libraries.