Founded in 1976, the Washington Calligraphers Guild is a nonprofit organization of approximately 500 American and international lettering artists of all skill levels, from professional scribes to enthusiastic beginners and even some non-calligraphers who appreciate the lettering and book arts.

The word calligraphy comes from the Greek kalli meaning beautiful and graphia referring to writing, and calligraphers today still emulate the beautiful letterforms of scribes throughout the centuries. Even in an age of computer-generated type, this ancient craft is flourishing, but it is also evolving. Calligraphy is now a respected visual art, the creative expression of the written word.