HISTORY

In 1982, twenty students of the Late Eric Tristram, a lecturer in Calligraphy at the University Of Western Australia Extension courses, met with a desire to encourage and assist each other in 'practising the old art and craft of calligraphy'. Several of those members are still with us. One, Cliff Stevenson, a spritely 84 year old, remembers well the heady enthusiasm of a newly formed 'Calligraphy Club'. At their first meeting, the name was changed to Calligraphers' Guild. The rules then set out are not too far removed from our presently incorporated group, The Calligraphers Guild Of WA (Inc.).

Donald Jackson was the first overseas contact as he was with the Society of Scribes and Illuminators at that time. The Guild had decided to borrow some exhibition slides and purchase a book, The Calligraphers Handbook. Now the Guild runs its own annual exhibition and has a library of over 250 books. In 1984 three members went to Albury NSW. to learn directly from a Donald Jackson visit.

Guild member, Peter Evans, an accomplished Calligrapher and now retired Senior Art lecturer from the Edith Cowan University, arranged for Guild meetings to be held at the University in the mid 80's. This allowed good facilities and your writer well remembers several visits by Rosemary Sassoon. Despite Western Australia's tyranny of distance we are no strangers to many of the international Calligraphers visiting Australia, our next being Jean Larcher.

Peter commenced a full time course in an Associate Diploma of Arts (Visual Arts and Crafts) with a major in Calligraphy in 1987. The change to a University from the Tertiary College of the time saw the demise of that course but not before most of Peter's students joined the Guild after seeing the Guild's first exhibition and sale of work in 1987 and the second in 1989. One can say that those students firmly cemented the foundations of the Guild as it is today.

The heady years from 1987 - 1990 saw a change in venue to a community centre, the Incorporation of the Guild, and a growth in numbers rising to 170. In 1989 it was decided to produce an annual diary. The cover of our first issue in 1990 was designed by Eric Tristram who died in March 1990. The diary is a success story. The theme for this year was 'Australiana' and the 2000 theme is 'The Year 2000' but a secondary theme of 'time' has been added.

Our members are mainly from the metropolitan area with a few from country areas. Over the years we have had several from other states as our members migrate as well as some from overseas. We have many teachers at TAFE Adult Education centres as well as private lesson groups. Several teachers also make themselves available for country weekend workshops under the auspices of Arts Access.

The Guild meets on the fourth Saturday of the month. Our extensive library opens from 1.30 to 2pm when an obligatory business meeting unfolds. We break at 3pm and usually have a speaker or demonstration from 3.30 to 4pm plus. We run weekend workshops from time to time and enjoy the inspiration of visiting calligraphers. We keep a photographic record of every activity. The Guild's magazine was an extension of a handwritten single sheet by Eric posted to members. It is now called 'Quillo Talk' and issues prior to the monthly meeting. We also have a half yearly glossy magazine called 'The Western Scribe'. Our meetings attract approximately 50/60 members.

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