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WORKSHOPS

Calligraphy Guild Pittsburgh offers workshops by renowned artists several times a year, both online and in-person. 

Upcoming Workshops

    • October 10, 2026
    • October 11, 2026
    • 2 sessions
    • Run Rabbit Gilding, 201 North Braddock Ave, Suite 324, Pittsburgh PA 15208
    Register


    The Elegant Italic Hand

    Please join us for two days of Italic lettering exploration. This workshop is open to all levels from complete beginners to experienced calligraphers. Each attendee can work at their own pace to get the most out of the hands-on instruction.

    Often times our Italic letters are perfectly fine but what if they could be more elegant, more dynamic, or more DRAMATIC? 

    In this workshop we will:

    • Review the basic strokes, letter families, and spacing
    • Share basic capital letters AND lovely swash capital letters
    • Demonstrate flourished ascenders and descenders
    • Provide personal feedback to elevate your Italic letter
    • Show lettering variations to switch up your style 

    Bring a phrase or quotation to layout as a final project on Sunday. Supply list will be provided upon registration confirmation.

    Please note: Our featured online calligraphy instructor Sue Greenseth will be teaching Gothicized Italic in January 2027. She requests all students enrolling in the class have some Italic lettering experience.

     Members $40       Non-members $60

    Proceeds donated to Calligraphy Guild Pittsburgh for future

    workshop instructor travel expenses



    INSTRUCTOR: Karen Nordstrom Roberts 

    Karen began her calligraphy journey 30 years ago and has kept her pen wet ever since. She was a long-time student of Myrna Rosen at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. She enjoys classic historical calligraphy hands written with the broad-edge pen such as Roman, Italic, Uncial, and Blackletter but also loves to explore pointed pen writing styles including Copperplate and Modern Script. Karen loves to learn new styles and applications of calligraphy by attending live and zoom classes with instructors all over the world. She has taught calligraphy at several locations throughout Pittsburgh and online classes. Currently, she is teaching broad-edge calligraphy styles at the newly renamed Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media in Shadyside. 


    If you haven't already done so,

    please register ASAP. Seats are limited.



    Parking Information 

    This event will be held at Run Rabbit Gilding in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh. 

    Address: 201 N Braddock Ave Suite 324, Pittsburgh, PA 15208. Entrance is on Thomas Blvd.

    Click HERE for a PDF map with address and parking instructions, as well as photos of the entrance. 

    There is free and plentiful off-street parking available. If you have any uncertainty about parking, please read the linked document.

    COFFEE, TEA, AND LIGHT SNACKS WILL BE PROVIDED

    BUT PLAN TO BRING A BAGGED LUNCH WITH YOU.

Previous Workshops

2023-24 Year of the Hand: Uncial

Copperplate Boot Camp with Nina Tran 

Copperplate Intensive with Nina Tran

Uncialicious: Introduction to Uncial  4-class with Jane Shibata

The Book of Kells: It's History and Beauty lecture by Meredith Klein

Lively Lettering with an Irish Flair with Meredith Klein

Walnut Ink Explorations guild play day

Cut-and-Paste layout and design guild play day

Annual Meeting with Gel Plate Printing

Show of Hands Exhibit at Monroeville Library


2022-23 Year of the Hand: Blackletter

Hardcover Accordian Spine Book with Amy Spencer

Collage: Accents in Gold with Judy Melvin

Introduction to Blackletter 6-week class with Meredith Klein

Fraktur & Flourish with Nina Tran

Pointed Pen Blackletter with Mike Kecseg


2021-22 Hand of the Year: Italic

Bold & Blended Chunky Caps with Amity Parks

The Glittering Vine with Heather Held

Intro to Celtic Knots with Nancy Hills

Italic Capitals - Swash and Double Stroke with Holly Monroe

Fantastic Flourishes with Holly Monroe

Writing and Mark Making with Gouache with Myrna Rosen


2020-21 

Variations on Akim with Julie Wildman

Ben Shahn Letters with Carol DuBosch

Writing with a Bent Nib 4-week hybrid class with Randy Hasson

Beginning Spencerian 4-week class with Pat Blair

Rubber Stamp Carving with Dana Dunaway


2019 - 20

Flourishing, Envelopes & Etiquette with Suzanne Cunningham

Be Illuminated with Weldon Doran

Digital Resources for Calligraphers with Emily Martin

     and Karen Nordstrom Roberts


Contemporary Scripts with Mike Gold

Introduction to Foundational Calligraphy with Lily Hoy

      and Karen Nordstrom Roberts


2018-2019

Gothicized Italic with Barry Morentz

Four Quarters with Judy Melvin

Spontaneous Marks with Pamela Paulsrud

Lucious Layers with Jacqueline Sullivan

Ampersands with Myrna Rosen

40 Year Retrospective exhibit


2017-2018

Seastones with Maria Helena Hoksch

Word Pictures with Tim Botts

40th Anniversary Celebration


2016-2017

Modern Versals with Gemma Black

Greeting Cards Design with Judy Melvin

Getting Creative with Instagram with Kathleen Prumo

Life Lines with Pamela Paulsrud

Marker Magic with Karen Nordstrom Roberts

Dressed-Down Copperplate with Pat Blair

Mystic Art exhibit


2015-2016

Dancing Pen with Carri Imai

The Ruling Pen with Julian Waters

Make Your Capitals Sing with Myrna Rosen

Calligraphy on Canvas with Roann Mathias


2014-2015

Neuland with Script with Judy Melvin

Vitalize Your Hands with Christopher Haanes

Simple Books with Lily Hoy

Dry Embossing with Myrna Rosen

Intro to Pointed Pen with Guild Representatives

Carolingian with Myrna Rosen

Versal Letter Studies with Thomas Ingmire

Monroeville Library exhibit


2013-14

Blackletter (Textura) with Julian Waters

Blackletter (Fraktur) with Julian Waters

Flotsam & Jetsam with Laurie Doctor

Historic Review Series with Myrna Rosen



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