About Letterheads

In 1982, Noel Weber hosted the “Boise Bar-B-Q” in which he invited additional craftspeople from around the country. In October of the same year, Mike Jackson hosted the “Oklahoma Bash” in Moore, Oklahoma and roughly 135 sign makers showed up for an intensive weekend. Both Signs of the Times and SignCraft magazines sent their editors. As the next issues hit the streets, their articles and photos enlightened the entire industry. The movement was in full force with large meetings in Kansas City in 1983 and Memphis the following year. The rest of the growth is history. Literally hundreds of meetings have just “happened”. The Denver group hosted the 10th and most recently 20th anniversary meetings. While there is usually one National meeting a year, there are often four or five regional or area meetings a month scattered all over the country.

Amazingly, the Letterheads thrive, grow, and evolve without a true governing body. That’s right-no president, treasurer, or even board of directors. The basic rule of thumb has been “if you want or have a Letterheads meeting-have one”. That person or group decides the format, location, fees charged if any and all other variables.

At the center of the all the hoopla is the willingness to learn, share, and explore. Prior to the Letterheads, many craftsmen closely guarded their hard earned knowledge. Once, caught up in the movement, it becomes difficult not to want to share your knowledge, especially when even more experienced people are sharing theirs. While the earliest meetings in Denver emphasized the noble craft of sign painting, gilding, and designing, later meetings have acknowledged and accepted the introduction of the computer age. Even today, the blending of the old craft and state of the art technologies collect a crowd. Often, meetings have a theme, and attendees are encouraged to make a project showing off some of the person’s talents or techniques.