It’s time to dust off the fountain pens as Archives Week kicks off in Saskatchewan on February 6 and runs through the 10.    

The annual celebration aims to shed some light on the importance of archives—photographs, newspapers, yearbooks, maps, and other documents that museum’s keep in their collections. 

Joanne Gregoire, director of culture for the Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre in Shaunavon, said their theme this year is The Lost Art of Cursive Writing.  

“We’re going to sneak in a little early with a coffee chat on Friday,” she said. “And our Collections Manager, Kelly Attrell, is curating a temporary gallery exhibit—so she’s bringing up items from our archives that feature cursive writing.” 

Folks joining in on the coffee chat tomorrow are invited to bring items of their own to talk about, giving them a sneak peek into the exhibition.  

There will also be an introduction to graphology; studying the patterns in folks’ handwriting can give some insight into their personalities.  

The Saskatchewan Council of Archies has even sponsored a workshop that is set for Tuesday evening, led by Tammy Willman, the Grand Coteau’s program coordinator.  

“We have had amazing response—as a matter of fact, our evening class is full and so we've actually added a 2 o'clock class for those who can make it in the afternoon that day,” Gregoire said. “So, we do have these few spots left for the afternoon. [Willman] is going to run through the basics of calligraphy and the tools and materials and some of the styles, and people will get to practice and just have a fun time. 

”It's amazing, the more you learn about handwriting and all of the different things that it can tell about you, and you can tell about another person's personality, is really fun. It's almost a shame that it's becoming a lost art because there's so many things that you can learn about people through that.” 

To sign up for the workshop on Tuesday, call the Grand Coteau at 306-297-3882 or e-mail Tammy at programsGCHC@sasktel.net. More details about the week can be found on their Facebook page.