About

Hi, I'm Dr. Sarah Lewis Cortes. Welcome to my art and calligraphy world. You can read about my cyber interests on my profe​​ssional technology and research site. 

Rime of the Ancient Mariner, 2025, Group Exhibition: ​Kalligraphia, Skylight Gallery, San Francisco Public Library ​

End Malware Now: 2022, Group Exhibition: ​Kalligraphia, Skylight Gallery, San Francisco Public Library

RSarah’s first calligraphy pen: Osmiroid 65. Published the Medieval Home Journal for her school's seventh grade curriculum built around Byzantium. Her bookbinding journey began at age 11 when her grandfather bequeathed her a volume of bound original 1920s Black Mask Magazines containing his published detective thrillers. A calligrapher and cybersecurity engineer, in 2025 she took her nose out of a book long enough to earn her bookbinding certification at SFCB.

Exhibitions- Calligraphy

• 2025, Group Exhibition, Kalligraphia: Skylight Gallery, San Francisco Public Library
• 2022, Group Exhibition, ​Kalligraphia: Skylight Gallery, San Francisco Public Library

Books and Book Commissions- Sample​​

• ​​Dicta and Contradicta, Epigrams by Karl Kraus, 2026 translated and with a foreword by Jonathan George Kelley McVity, Fraktur calligraphy
• I Segreti per Imparare L'Italiano book, 2025- Secrets for learning Italian by Sarah Lewis Cortes, in Gothic Textura Quadrata ​calligraphy
• Rev. Canon Dr. Brian Kelley poetry book, 2024- poetry by Canon Dr. Brian Kelley, Italic calligraphy
• Words Create Worlds, poetry chap book, 2023 Poetry by Ada Jo Mann, calligraphed with illustrations
• Birthday Book, 2022- Flora the Lily of the West, in Italic calligraph
• Family Poetry book 2021- Poetry by 16 poets, all in one family, hand calligraphed in French Script
• Zoe- children's book 2020- book in French Script with illustrations by Marie-Noel de la Chapelle, Deauville, France
• Medieval Home Journal

Professional Associations or Affiliations

• Friends of Calligraphy (Guild) (FOC)​
• Hand Bookbinders of California (HBC)
• San Francisco Center for the Book (SFCB)
• ​Letterform Archive- home of the TypeWest ​Program
• Book Club of California (BCC)
• Guild of Book Workers (GBW)​

Art/Design Teaching

• ​Friends of Calligraphy Workshop, Viking Interlace Design

​ Education/Training

• Ph.D., Northeastern University, Boston, MA, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Boston, MA                                                        
• Boston University Medical School, Forensic Sciences                                                                            
• M.S., Boston University, Computer Science - Information Security                                                   
• A.B., Harvard University, Romance Languages & Literatures: French, Italian, Latin                
• City College of San Francisco- CCSF- Art History, Graphic Design, Digital Media, Typography, Calligraphy​
• University of London, London International Paleography School (LIPS), London Rare Book School (LRBS), ​Institute of English Studies
  • Writing History c. 1000-1250, Manuscript Sources, Prof. Laura Cleaver, Dr Charlie Rozier
  • Intermediate Latin Paleography, Marigold Norbye
• North Bennett St School, Boston, MA- Bookbinding, Hot Stamping Workshops- Jeff Altepeter
• San Francisco Center for the Book: Bookbinding Certificate 2025, Letterpress Certificate 2024
  • Bookbinding: Claire Emma Smith, Madison Halaby Gordon, Pietro Accardi (Articulated Binding), Hanna Rashidi, Jody Alexander, Molly Meng, Beth Redmond​
  • Letterpress: Alan Hillesheim, Paula Gloistein, Brian Ferrett, Lisa Rappoport, Grendl Löfkvist
  • Paper and Fabric Marbling/Papermaking: Pietro Accardi, Mary Ann Wight​
• Letterform Archive, San Francisco: Grendl Löfkvist, Fer Cozzi: Modern Typography Design Workshop
• Calligraphy:
  • Carl Rohrs, Grendl Löfkvist, Judy Detrick, Rick Paulus, John Stevens, Takako Takigawa, Dorothy Yuki, Sara Loesh-Frank, Cheryl Jacobsen, Jody Alexander, Katie Leavens, Raoul Martinez, Meredith Klein, Elmo van Slingerland, Billy Ola Hutchinson, Kristen Doty, Christi Payne, Massimo Polello
• École du Louvre, Paris: Art History​

​
Other Professional

• Harvard Widener Library- circulation
• Georgetown University Library- circulation

FAQ

• First calligraphy pen: Osmiroid 65. Seventh Grade (study of Byzantium)
• First discovered marbled paper: when working in a University library during high school, shelving books​
• Started sewing age four. First sewn pamphlet age 12.
• Typesetting, layout, graphic design: The Mitre  school newspaper, National Cathedral School. Harvard Crimson daily newspaper, editorial editor. Nightly page layout and phototypesetting through college. 
• I'm also a cybersecurity and privacy engineer. You can learn more about me on my technical website:  ​​www.SarahLewisCortes.com.

The Ancient Mariner in Hell

2025 Group Exhibition: Kalligraphia, Skylight Gallery, San Francisco Public Library, June 7- August 30, 2025 
Original handmade marbled paper and calligraphy on Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper.