Edward Catich Birthday Celebration at the Davenport Public Library Main Branch -- January 10. (pictured: Father Edward Catich)
Catich, His Life & Legacy: Saturday, January 10, 10 a.m.
Beginner Calligraphy Workshop: Saturday, January 10, 11 a.m.
Davenport Public Library Main Branch, 321 Main Street, Davenport IA
With the event held in honor of the Roman Catholic priest, calligrapher, and longtime St. Ambrose University instructor born on January 4, 1906, the Davenport Public Library's Main Branch will host its Edward Catich Birthday Celebration on January 10, treating visitors to a presentation and art demonstration with Paul Herrera at 10 a.m., plus a calligraphy workshop with Amy Nielsen at 11 a.m.
In addition to his 40-year tenure at St. Ambrose that ended with the beloved teacher's 1979 passing, Father Catich is noted for the fullest development of the thesis that the inscribed Roman square capitals of the Augustan age and afterward owed their form (and their characteristic serifs) wholly to the use of the flat brush, rather than to the exigencies of the chisel or other stone cutting tools. In his presentation Catich: His Life & Legacy, Paul Herrera of the Art Legacy League will speak on the the man's history and career in the library's Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center and then demonstrate how to do a slate rubbing, with an opportunity for attendees to try their hand at it.
Herrera’s calligraphic lettering and art training was done exclusively with Reverend Edward M. Catich beginning in 1967. The artist worked as an inscription cutter and calligraphy seminar assistant with Father Catich until the time of his death, at which point Herrera was invited to teach Father Catich’s classes at St. Ambrose, continuing to do so until 1989. Herrera has served as a faculty member of seven international calligraphy conventions, the most recent being “Roman Holiday,” which was held at St. Ambrose University in 2024. Additionally, he was a watercolor and calligraphy instructor at the former Davenport Municipal Art Gallery from 1973 to 1984. Herrera's biography of Father Catich can be purchased from the Art Legacy League at 1225 E. River Drive in Davenport, Suite 201.
Following Herrera's 10 a.m. program, attendees can continue the Edward Catich Birthday Celebration by picking up a calligraphy pen and trying their hands at this beautiful writing in a not-to-be-missed introductory calligraphy workshop. Artist and calligrapher Amy Nielsen will lead students in a creative study of the formal alphabet, which is one of the most important basic alphabets in western calligraphy. Using felt-tipped pens, attendees will develop an understanding of all the basics to be able to write a formal alphabet.
Nielsen, a native of the Quad Cities, creates works from a variety of media. She mixes the qualities of gold leaf embellishments with watercolor, traditional pen and ink, and calligraphic brushes to produce unique works having a distinct signature. Nielsen started her career with Hallmark Cards and has used that experience to incorporate tight illustrations with precise calligraphy and a sense of natural illumination. Working in slate is her current passion., as she originally learned from Fr. E.M. Catich and CSM Paul P. Herrera. The slate pieces are hand-inscribed with chisel and mallet and illuminated with color and 23K gold. She is an active member of The Arts Collective, and contributor to Quad City Arts, Festival of Trees. Founding BOD, and Core Instructor Art Legacy League (ALL), currently serving as President.
Paul Herrera's presentation Catich, His Life & Legacy will be held in the Main Branch's Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center at 10 a.m. on January 10, with Amy Nielsen's calligraphy workshop taking place in the library's Makerspace at 11 a.m. Participation in both events in the Edward Catich Birthday Celebration is free, and more information is available by calling (563)326-7832 and visiting DavenportLibrary.com.
