Straddling the Globe: Letterheads at Dingles and Down Under
Sign painters gather for Letterheads meets in Sydney and at Dingles Fairground Heritage Museum.
The last weekend of March 2023 saw Letterheads meets being held in parallel on opposite sides of the globe: Devon, England and Sydney, Australia. Although they differed in scale, each of these events showed that the movement is back in full swing after the pandemic.
If the reviews below give you that fear of missing out, keep an eye on the Event Listings page for details of forthcoming meets.
The Sydney Paint Jam
The Sydney Paint Jam was held over two days in Enmore, Sydney. It was organised by Ryan Donnelly at Alltype'sa Signs (@alltypesa.signs) and hosted by Emiel Saada at Studio Mielo (@emiels). Most of the 13 attendees were from Sydney, with some traveling in from out of state, and one joining while on holiday from Canada, making it an international affair.
The event was supported by sponsors A.S. Handover (Brushes & Sundries) , Colormaker Industries (Permacrylik scenic paint range), and Viponds (Sign enamel paint range), with organiser Ryan Donnelly commenting:
"Having attended signwriting meets around Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Europe over the past few years, I was inspired to put something together in Sydney. Studio Mielo graciously agreed to hold the event at his workshop which is equipped for such a meet! As well as being centrally located, there is plenty of inspiration in hand-painted signage adorning local shops and murals in nearby alleyways."
Letterheads at Dingles
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Dingles Fairground Heritage Museum (@dinglesfhc) hosted what is intended to be the first of a regular Letterheads meet. The next one is pencilled in for March 2025...
The event was the brainchild of organisers Aaron Stephens (@aaronvalentinestephens) and Amy Goodwin (@amy.goodwin.signwriter). It was set up to raise money for the ongoing maintenance of the museum's valuable and historically significant collections.
Better Letters
Over 70 painters, plus 30 guests, made the trip to Milford Lifton in Devon, southwest England, to enjoy themselves in this inspirational setting. As well as the expected contingent from the UK, there were international attendees from Denmark, Ireland, and the USA.
Some 'lively' evenings in the local Fox & Grapes pub were accompanied by daytime demonstrations from Joby Carter (blocks and shadows), David Kynaston (S's, ampersands and scary bits), and Hana Sunny Whaler (sunny script).
Amy Goodwin gave a talk on her doctoral research into women 'showmen' of the 19th century and David A. Smith's Ludlow & Blunt film was screened in addition to the regular dose of panel jamming.
Better Letters
"It was such a great meet, probably my favourite so far: super well organised, great food, nice local pub, and great company. It was ace!" — Jon May (@jon.may.studio)
In total, the event raised £6,500 for the museum across tickets and sales from the auction. Half of the auction sales (£3,500) were then given as a donation to Harefield Hospital. The hospital was chosen on the suggestion of Cooper at Dapper Signs who joked that it can be "a down payment on my new lung".
More Letterheads
Better Letters
Event Listings
Better Letters