The state of the sacred arts
June 13, 2025
Dear friends of the Sacred Arts,
“This ‘consoling realism,’ the term which best characterizes my style of painting, focuses on expressing the needs of contemporary people who are tortured by a lack of communion and relationship, by an abyss of darkness. I work and create to present a consoling picture of communion and love, so greatly needed in today’s world.” –Iconographer George Kordis
Iconography embodies well the intersection and interplay of holiness and creativity. And, as master iconographer—and subtle theologian—George Kordis points out above, it is an art that continues to speak profoundly to our own place and time in history. St. Vladimir’s Seminary and its Institute of Sacred Arts are pleased to be welcoming back Dr. Kordis and his Writing the Light School of Iconography for an iconography workshop from June 16–21st.
The Institute of Sacred Arts has been collaborating with Dr. Kordis—master iconographer and professor of iconology—and his Writing the Light School for several years. Kordis was the inaugural Artist in Residence through the ISA in spring of 2022 (watch my six-minute video with George here). Next month’s workshop will welcome around 30 students to our campus for a week-long session focused on portable icons.
In an exciting convergence of events, the workshop—comprising thirty students—will take place in a newly renovated Sacred Arts Space at the seminary. In early 2025, through the generous support of one of the Institute’s closest friends and advisors, we were able to fully remodel a large space in Meyendorff Hall, with tall ceilings and natural lighting from skylights. The new flooring was deemed vital for acoustical reasons—the room being the main space for choir rehearsals—and the flooring, lighting, and freshly-painted walls and furniture will make for an ideal studio space for the teaching and painting of icons. Projection facilities and conference tables will also make it ideal for the colloquia that the ISA has been gathering regularly among scholars and artists.
This year, as last, Dr. Kordis will have a public conversation with me, which will be live-recorded as an episode of our podcast, Luminous: Conversations on Sacred Arts (listen to our previous conversation here). That will take place on Thursday, June 17, at 7 p.m. If you’re in the area, join us—let me know you’ll be coming (sacredarts@svots.edu). Thank you for your prayers and support through educational programs like this—and so much more.
On behalf of my team,
Peter Bouteneff
Director, Institute of Sacred Arts