Who Are The Island Scribes?

Island Scribes Inc. was formed in 1978 to act as a coordinating, educational and service guild to promote and encourage the knowledge, appreciation, and practice of calligraphy and related arts through educational and cultural activities. In pursuit of these purposes, the organization publishes a newsletter, and serves as a clearing house for the community’s calligraphic needs, supplying advice, information, services, workshops, lectures, and entertainment.

Our monthly meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month during the day at Coes Neck Park in Baldwin. Each meeting includes a program such as a guest speaker either demonstrating or lecturing about calligraphy or a related topic. Programs occasionally feature slide presentations or hands-on participation. Our lending library is available to members at each meeting. It is full of high quality books and numerous newsletters and publications from other calligraphy guilds.

Island Scribes sponsors a series of Fall and Spring workshops on a variety of topics such as learning new alphabet styles, fine tuning your calligraphy, guilding and illuminating, design, and related crafts (i.e. marbling, paper making, jewelry, etc.). Workshops are offered for a range of students from beginner to advanced. Local experts as well as top instructors from around the world conduct these classes, which are usually held at either Coes Neck Park or Salibury Park (both facilities are accessible for those individuals with physical mobility impairments).

There is no minimum skill level required to join. Membership is open to everyone who shares an interest in lettering. Our members run the gamut from hobbyists to professional calligraphers. Our quarterly newsletter, Penscriptions, contains informative articles, workshop and book reviews, tips, information on new products available, a teaching directory and news of upcoming events of calligraphic interest.

We are very proud to show off our calligraphic artwork at exhibits throughout Long Island. Our main annual show is “The All Long Island Calligraphers Show” ("TALICS") at Farmingdale State College. Over the past few years we have also exhibited our members’ work at varopis public libraries across Long Island.

For more information, please write to:

Island Scribes
PO Box 1043
Baldwin, NY 11510-0943

We look forward to welcoming you!

Island Scribes is a member of the Association for the Calligraphic Arts (ACA),
the international organization for the promotion of calligraphy.