Learn with
Janet Murata
Beginner Blackletter: Bold Letters, Powerful Presence
Blackletter is the alphabet that built empires, crowned kings, and filled the pages of Europe’s most magnificent manuscripts.
And yes, you can learn it.
In this four-hour immersive session, you’ll discover how this dramatic, historic style becomes surprisingly approachable when broken into its essential strokes and rhythms.
You’ll learn how to:
• Use a broad-edge pen to create bold Blackletter forms
• Understand the simple structural rules behind the style
• Build letters that look confident, balanced, and powerful
• Create your first completed Blackletter words and phrases
No experience required. Just curiosity and a willingness to slow down and enjoy the rhythm of ink on paper.
By the end of the class, you won’t just understand Blackletter.
You’ll be writing it.
And you may never look at medieval lettering the same way again.
Beginner Blackletter
This is a stand-alone with Janet Murata
If you want a taste for the festival
Without the committment.
Oct 24
8:30-12:30
$75
This is a stand-alone with Janet Murata
If you want a taste for the festival
Without the committment.
Oct 25
8:30-12:30
$47
Beginner Copperplate
Beginner Copperplate
Those elegant wedding envelopes.
The scripts that look like they belong on royal invitations.
That’s Copperplate.
And while it looks impossibly refined, the secret is simple: it’s built from a small set of strokes you can learn surprisingly quickly.
In this four-hour beginner workshop, you’ll learn the foundations of pointed-pen calligraphy and start building the graceful letters that define Copperplate.
You’ll learn:
• How to control a pointed pen to create hairlines and dramatic swells
• The essential strokes that form the Copperplate alphabet
• How spacing and rhythm bring the letters to life
• How to write your first elegant words in this classic script
No experience required.
Just ink, patience, and the quiet satisfaction of watching beautiful letters appear under your pen.
Learn with
Janet Murata
Origami: An Evening of Play, Paper, and Creative Surprise
Join internationally respected calligrapher and artist Janet Murata for a relaxed, fun, and highly interactive evening class exploring the art of origami.
This session is designed as a creative palate-cleanser — a chance to step away from your usual tools, try something new, and rediscover the simple pleasure of making with your hands. No pressure, no perfection. Just curiosity, creativity, and connection.
You’ll fold, explore, laugh, and create alongside fellow festival attendees while Janet guides you through forms that are both accessible and deeply satisfying. Whether origami is completely new to you or something you’ve dabbled in before, this class invites you to slow down, play, and enjoy the process.
Come curious. Leave inspired. And enjoy an evening that’s as much about joy and community as it is about creativity.
Origami: An Evening of Play, Paper, and Creative Surprise
with Janet Murata
Oct 23
Janet Murata: Precision, Grace, and Form
Janet Murata is an internationally respected calligrapher whose work sits at the intersection of tradition, precision, and quiet elegance.
Her study is rooted in classical scripts, and Janet is known for her disciplined approach, refined letterforms, and deep respect for the historical foundations of calligraphy.
Her teaching is equally revered. Janet has a rare ability to make complex structures feel accessible, guiding students to slow down, see more clearly, and develop confidence through intentional practice.
She emphasizes fundamentals, rhythm, and restraint—helping calligraphers build work that is both technically strong and timeless.
Whether teaching or creating, Janet brings thoughtfulness, clarity, and grace to every stroke, offering students not just instruction, but a deeper way of engaging with letters.
Origami: An Evening of Play, Paper, and Creative Surprise
with Janet Murata
Oct 23