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WORKSHOPS

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

Upcoming Workshops

    • April 26, 2025
    • 10:00 AM
    • April 27, 2025
    • 5:00 PM
    • Carnegie Mellon University / Margaret Morrison #203
    • 4


    BREAKING the RULES

     

    with Mike Gold 



    An in-person Workshop at Carnegie Mellon University


    Saturday and Sunday, April 26 - 27, 2025 • 10am - 5pm

    In this workshop, we examine the rules that guide formal hands in order to understand how and why to break those rules. Through a series of exercises, students will create non-traditional, informal, and even abstract letterforms and compositions in order to look beyond traditional, formal calligraphic styles. 

    Participants will practice with a variety of tools, writing surfaces, and media as they gain an appreciation for ways of lettering that may be more suitable for contemporary, commercial, personal, and fine art. Important layout and design strategies will be incorporated into the sessions, and the posting and sharing of individuals’  work will provide inspiration and feedback for all.  Although appropriate for all levels, familiarity and experience with calligraphy  is encouraged. A recording will be available to registrants for six months following the workshop.


    INSTRUCTOR MIKE GOLD worked as a commercial lettering designer for over 35 years, mostly in the social expressions business. But his real passion is exploring the corridors of calligraphy that have been less traveled, the path where words and letters are design elements with which to play with line, shape and form, where creating a visual statement is more important than writing a readable text. In both his professional and personal art, Mike breaks traditional rules to create contemporary, non-traditional work.

    In addition to earning an M.A. in Visual Communications, Mike has studied with many outstanding lettering and design masters over the years. He has taught nation-wide in the US as well as internationally. His work has been featured in Letter Arts Review many times over the past 25 years, and he has also served as a juror for the Letter Arts Review annual. His work resides in many private collections, including the Berlin Calligraphy Archive. His book, Lines to Live By (available through John Neal, Bookseller) details Mike's take on being a non-traditional calligrapher in the 21st century. Mike is especially proud of the collaborative work and teaching he has done with Pittsburgh guild member and dear friend, Judy Melvin. To see more of Mike’s work, please visit his website: 

    https://www.mikegold-letterarts.com 

    or his Instagram @goldie2452.


     


      

           Images courtesy of Mike Gold.


    PLEASE NOTE: Our cancellation policy is detailed HERE 


    FOR DETAILED CMU PARKING INFORMATION, CLICK HERE

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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