BEGINNING IN-PERSON RESIDENCIES in JANUARY 2026 ~ 

Official Program Launch in Fall 2026, with Applications now being accepted.

NEW ~ Church Wall-Painting Certificate

A 2-year Professional Program 

“More Spacious than the Heavens” at Three Hierarchs Church, Budapest, Hungary

Applications Open ~ Official program launch in September 2026, with pre-program residencies and preliminary online drawing classes introduced in January 2026.

OVERVIEW

Dr. George Kordis is regarded as one of the top master contemporary iconographers working in this specialized field today, and it is with the interest and urging of many students around the world that Writing the Light has formed a separate 2-year program for those students who wish to include a special focus in church wall-painting in their training.  With exposure to a deeper understanding of the role of church painting and the elements of design on a larger scale, students will enter into a two year program that encompasses theory, methodology, materials, professional best practices and first hand apprenticeship experience working with Dr. Kordis, select expert faculty and learn in real time along Kordis’s church-painting team.  The select group of students in this limited cohort will engage in the practice of techniques both online and with in-person residencies culminating with an opportunity to paint a chapel in Greece alongside Dr. Kordis as well as options for various internship and work/study opportunities. 

As an innovative professional artistic program, Writing the Light will launch a 2-year Certificate Program in the Art of Church Wall-Painting in January 2026.  Founded by master artist and iconographer Dr. George Kordis, the program was created for a distinct group of aspiring artist iconographers to immerse in the rich tradition of Byzantine wall painting, led with Kordis’s expert oversight and guidance and formed by a unique curriculum over two transformative years.

In a contemporary world where old icons are often copied and used to adorn new churches,  most modern icon painters are not trained how to approach the ambitious and rigorous demands of designing the sacred space of a church.  This newest program of Writing the Light is the only international professional-track educational program of its kind aimed at initiating a new movement of artists towards inspiration and originality within the tradition of Ecclesiastical wall-painting.  By equipping students with the knowledge, skills, resources and artistic thinking they need, we believe that strong and new creative visionaries will be able to enter the field of Ecclesiastical wall-painting prepared and able to summon in a new Renaissance of beautifying churches with a reflective spirit of a vibrancy and creativity around the world.

As biblical story-tellers shaping the visual narrative and articulating the pictorial language for churches, we feel this is important work to train, equip and nurture the next generation of creative and artistic church wall painters. 

This program seamlessly combines flexible in-person residencies (see RESIDENCY) at Byzantine churches, monasteries and sacred sites with thoughtful and practical online modules, fostering a multifaceted learning experience that combines the vibrancy of an artistic community and the introspection of individual study. Participants will explore the spiritual and artistic traditions of Byzantine wall painting while developing their skills in traditional and contemporary techniques, craftsmanship, creativity, visual storytelling, and theological insight. Kordis will also share professional insight on best practices from a working artist perspective. 

As a Capstone Project, students will learn how to envision a sacred space making a specific proposal for beautifying a church. 

With George Kordis as the primary mentor and Master Iconographer of the program, students will also have the opportunity as part of the program requirements to paint part of a church or chapel alongside Dr. Kordis in one of the short term residential periods or as a special internship. 

His direct guidance and expertise shapes the success of the learning experience, offering students a unique and rare opportunity to learn from a preeminent figure in contemporary Byzantine art and monumental wall-painting.

Key Program Highlights:

• Direct mentorship with Dr. George Kordis, guiding students with both an approach grounded in both tradition and artistic creativity
• Integrated Approach: Balancing between hands-on practices and theoretical foundations ensuring a holistic understanding of church wall-painting 
• Exposure to the understanding of the creative process within site-specific parameters 
• Rigorous approach to church wall-painting using the Byzantine system
• In-Person Residencies combining immersion in practical learning skills paired with select destinations to study Byzantine Monuments and Churches
• Best business practices for growth and church commissions
• International student body creating a global perspective
• Culminating experience painting alongside Kordis invites rich dialogue with contemporary themes and practices

Program Outcomes:

• Proficiency in traditional Byzantine iconography techniques, including fresco painting, silicate, egg tempera, casein and basic gold leaf application.
• Ability to design and execute a church project from start to finish, including concept development, sketching, and painting.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Professional portfolio development, including a capstone project that demonstrates mastery of the skills and knowledge gained in the program.
• Ability to articulate artistic vision and process, and to engage in dialogue to uphold personal vision for one’s work.
• Resource development for practical use through building a collective image library.
• Understanding of what it takes to operate a church wall-painting business from a business “best practices” perspective.
• Equipped with strong foundation for a successful career as a church wall painter/artist iconographer.

The entire program is held in English-language.

See a short clip with Kordis from the recent documentary “Heaven on Earth” by Alexandros Papachristopoulos:

Additional Details

SPECIFIC RESIDENCIES

The Church Wall-Painting Program will have select residencies to hone the craft of working in large scale for churches.  Throughout the two-year program, students will have the opportunity to choose from curated residency opportunities.  Residencies can be completed in three years or longer as necessary.

Current Wall-Painting residencies: 

1. JANUARY IN ATHENS at Eikonourgia Studio ~ Large Scale Drawing in the Byzantine System with an introduction to traditional and contemporary wall-painting techniques (5 days) ~ Jan. 24 – 28, 2027
2. BUON FRESCO IN ROMANIA with Mihai Coman in the heart of Bucharest with excursions to see multiple ancient and contemporary church wall-paintings (7 days) ~ October 11 -18, 2027
3. USA (location TBD) ~ Large Scale Drawing (5 days) ~ Spring 2027
4. SUMMER in CRETE at the Galini Outpost, South-Eastern Crete ~ Preparing and Painting a small chapel (7 days) August 1 – 7, 2027
5. FALL in THESSALONÍKI ~ A combination immersion in both large scale Byzantine drawing and painting as well as studying the historic churches in and around Thessaloniki (7 or 10 days) ~ Fall 2027, exact dates TBA

See the residency requirements shared below.  More residency opportunities are being worked on.

PROGRAM TUITION

See the sample breakdown for the program cost outlined here.All costs are presented in Euros.

* Students who have not yet taken drawing in the Byzantine system with Dr. Kordis will need to join the Advanced Drawing class for year one.  This will be added in at around a discount, to make each online semester cost of 824 EUR (the same cost as the main Certificate Program).

APPLICATION PROCESS

This program has a rigorous application process, with only 12 – 14 students accepted into the program every year.  It is geared for students who have a previous foundation in the Byzantine system and/or have completed or passed a certain level of qualification based on Dr. Kordis’s portfolio evaluation.   Tuition financial assistance is available for qualified individuals.

The program is highly sought after as filling a unique need for professional training in the world of ecclesiastical arts.

To be added to the list of interested students, please email Keri Wiederspahn — keri@writingthelight.com.

See TUITION and APPLY for more information.

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO INDICATE YOU ARE LOOKING TO APPLY FOR THE “SACRED SPACE” PROGRAM.