About Us

The Chicago Calligraphy Collective fosters education and exposure to calligraphy in all its various forms and related arts. In an ever-increasing digital world, we believe that providing awareness and appreciation of the “art of beautiful lettering” will allow this time-honored and diverse art form not only to endure, but also to thrive in the 21st century.

The Chicago Calligraphy Collective (CCC) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois. Founded in 1976 to represent the interests of the calligraphic community of the Chicago area, the CCC has fostered the development of hundreds of calligraphers, including many who have achieved national and international renown.

Our Mission

The Chicago Calligraphy Collective is organized for the charitable and educational purposes of promoting the study, practice and appreciation of calligraphy in all of its historical and present day applications. By offering educational opportunities, we can achieve the initiative of enhancing public awareness and interest in the calligraphic lettering arts.

Our History

Calligraphy, like architecture, has a rich history in Chicago. By examining works from lettering luminaries such as Ray DaBoll, James Hayes, and R. Hunter Middleton, one can easily trace a clear and graceful calligraphic timeline. The Reverend Edward Catich, a leading authority on the Roman letter, continually paid homage to his early days of study and practice in Chicago. Many of his theories derive from this period of study. With a firm foundation of lettering excellence and extensive calligraphic collections housed in its museums and libraries, it’s no wonder that Chicago maintains its unique status as a calligraphic center.

Chicago continues to cultivate and nurture an active community of calligraphic artists. By sponsoring exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and various educational activities, it provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, techniques and instruction related to letterforms and their application in numerous artistic media. The Chicago Calligraphy Collective also serves as a professional network for its members. Today, the CCC thrives with over 200 members committed to the support and preservation of the lettering arts.

Our Logo

Our logo was designed by long-time member Timothy Botts. Tim is a master calligrapher who studied graphic design and calligraphy at Carnegie-Mellon University. After graduation, he and his wife Nancy spent three years in Japan teaching conversational English where he was exposed to the rich brush writing tradition of the east. Then he began a forty-year career at Tyndale House Publishers designing books and Bibles, retiring as senior art director in 2012.

Tim loves to use his expressive calligraphy to creatively explore the message and meaning of the Scriptures as well as other texts. Reflecting on his art, Tim observes that, "the tradition of calligraphy has historically been to celebrate the text by embellishing it. In addition to that worthy goal, I seek to portray the words so that the meaning is expressed visually—what I call word pictures. I use the principles of graphic design to aid in this communication—color, style, contrast, depth, symbolism and movement —to name a few." Tim continues saying, “In most of my work I am making word pictures—words expressed to look like what they mean...”

For the CCC logo, Tim says, "'Chicago' is inspired by Friedrich Neugebauer’s streamlined blackletter to represent our beautiful skyline. The movement of the script for 'Calligraphy' represents our nickname—the Windy City. 'Collective' is a condensed uncial all askew which speaks to the camaraderie we enjoy. In defense of the multiple styles, that reflects the variety of our work."

To see more of Tim's work, visit his website at timbottscalligraphy.org

Photography/Videotaping Policy

The Chicago Calligraphy Collective photographs and videotapes participants in its workshops or special events to publicize membership opportunities. By registering for a workshop or attending an event, participants and parents/guardians of participants consent to being photographed and videotaped. These photographs and videotapes will be used to promote the CCC through newsletters, the website and other promotional materials. Please tell the Workshops Director, Special Events Director, or photographer if you do not want to be photographed.

For the Record

The Chicago Calligraphy Collective is committed to providing its members, and the public at large, information regarding organizational policies, procedures, and documentation essential to the functioning of our organization. It is in this spirit that we encourage our members to access important information regarding the structure of the CCC, so they may actively participate and make well-informed decisions to ensure the longevity of the organization. Granting public access to this information offers an opportunity for the CCC to demonstrate and substantiate its dedication to protect this remarkable and distinct art form within today’s society.

As determined by the Internal Revenue Service on March 6, 2008 the Chicago Calligraphy Collective is recognized as a tax exempt 501c3 public charity and hereby makes available for inspection the following documents:

Please feel free to contact the President with questions or concerns.