I’m not going to TypeCon 2005. (It sometimes helps to be invited.) However, they keep claiming that Mayor Bloomberg declared July 18–24 Type Week in New York, yet I haven’t seen any documentation.
So, being an actual journalist, I called the mayor’s office and got it.
WHEREAS: From the billboards of Times Square to the graffiti murals of Queens, New York City is a wonderland for typographers. It is this wholehearted embrace of the written word that makes New York a perfect location for TypeCon 2005.
WHEREAS: TypeCon 2005 is hosted by the Type Directors Club and the Society of Typographic Aficionados. Over the course of the five-day convention, attendees will have the opportunity to attend numerous and varied workshops, presentations, panel discussions, exhibitions, and special events. Topics include typography and design for publications and print advertising, graffiti, printing and typographic history, calligraphy and hand lettering, multicultural design, and typography in new media. The speakers hail from all corners of the globe, with a special emphasis on luminaries culled from New York’s thriving typographic industry.
WHEREAS: A Japanese proverb says, “One written word is worth a thousand pieces of gold.” The current vitality of the typographic industry is convincing evidence of the enduring truth of this ancient sentiment. TypeCon 2005 is an opportunity to reflect upon the many ways we depend upon the printed word and typographers to keep us entertained, informed, and in touch.
NOW THEREFORE I, Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York, in recognition of this important event, do hereby proclaim July 18–24, 2005 in the City of New York as “Type Week.”
And, pleasingly enough, TypeCon does Web standards, with a mere two validation errors that could disappear in seconds.