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the quality of creative engagement in the Okanagan through publications, events and collaborations.
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Letter Perfect
THE FINE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY
» Thursday 30 September 2010, 5 pm
» Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna
» $2 at the door. Refreshments are available.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
Letter Artists to Showcase the Practise of Beautiful Writing in Kelowna
The word calligraphy comes from the Greek combination of "beautiful" and "writing". For many, however, this art is much more than curlicues adorning a wedding invitation or the strange names other than Times Roman on a word processor's pull-down list.
Calligraphy draws on ancient roots in China, Japan, Korea, South Asia and Persia. It reminds us of pre-printing press decorative arts and beautiful hand-lettered manuscripts. And it refines and continues the late nineteenth century craft revivals led by William Morris and others which provided important texture in the worlds of decorative arts and industry. Calligraphy is easily accessible and has clearly become an art form in its own right, frequently serving as a powerful platform for great ideas of literature and philosophy and as a graphic link between world cultures. Practitioners also frequently refer to the personal zen effects of pursing this discipline.
On Thursday, September 30th at 5 pm the ongoing Okanagan Institute Express series at the Bohemian Café, Kelowna presents Letter Perfect: The Fine Art of Calligraphy. Master artists Bill Litwin and Jacquie Myers present the history and practise of calligraphy, which draws on ancient roots and is a evocative expression of the decorative arts.
Both are members of the Kelowna Calligraphers' Guild, a long-time local presence, and recent participant in Lake Country's Art Walk. If your "brush" with calligraphy has been confined to copperplate decorations or long-dormant memories of the MacLean method of handwriting, this event should extend your horizons.
 Bill Litwin moved to the Okanagan in 2001, pursuing a slower lifestyle with less work and more time to pursue his artistic interests. He spends his free time learning the piano, painting in watercolour or honing his calligraphic skills. Bill joined the Kelowna Calligraphers' Guild in 2003 and since then has worked each year to further develop his knowledge and skills in all areas of calligraphy. He still considers himself a beginner with many things yet to learn. Bill will give an historical overview of calligraphy's development.
 Jacquie Myers has been a freelance calligrapher since 1985, and was Founding President of the Kelowna Calligraphers' Guild in 1990. Her work has appeared in exhibitions in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Kelowna, and in several publications, including Spirit of Calligraphy and ABC Canada. An ardent student of the calligraphic arts herself, she began teaching calligraphy in the mid 1990's at workshops and community programs. For Jacquie, calligraphy is more than script - it is a visual voice to the written word. Jacquie will speak on contemporary calligraphy.
TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT CLICK HERE
Letter Perfect: The Fine Art of Calligraphy takes place at the Bohemian Café, Kelowna. This marks the 175th event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in 2007.
Express is directed, convened and hosted by Robert MacDonald, Karen Close, Edward McLean, Neil McKay and Jan Kennett. It has played host to many Okanagan luminaries, including former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, distinguished editor and author Jim Taylor, poet laureate and professor John Lent, creative entrepreneur Nikos Theodosakis, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, community activist Don Elzer, dancer David LaHay, architect Jim Meiklejohn, culinary artist and writer Heidi Noble, broadcaster Marion Barschel and many others from a wide range of creative fields.
The Okanagan Institute is a group of creative professionals that have gathered around the goal of providing events, publications and services of interest to enquiring minds in the Okanagan. We partner with individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses to achieve optimal creative and social impact.
Our mission is to ignite cultural transformation, catalyze collaborative action, build networks and foster sustainable creative enterprises. We invite the participation by all members of the creative community.
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