Held both in Athens and on the inspiring and peaceful island of Crete, this 10-day immersive summer icon painting study program will allow balanced daily studio learning with additional trips to churches and monasteries as a part of the inspirational curriculum –along with shared lunches and curated evenings of food, discussion, music and poetry.
Currently we are only accepting interested students.
Please fill out the registration form (from red button above) to be added to the waitlist and we will email you with your status if you are able to move into active registration status (more information below).
GEORGE KORDIS SUMMER ICON SCHOOL 2022
AUGUST 7 – 18th, 2022
OVERVIEW:
The Summer Iconography School is a unique opportunity to immerse in learning iconography in-person from Dr. George Kordis in his native country of Greece. This inaugural program will begin with three days spent in Athens drawing at both the Mets Art Centre and the new teaching space of Kordis’s Eikonourgia School of Iconography. The group will then transition to Crete to enjoy another week of learning with Dr. Kordis with a painting focus in egg tempera techniques at the renowned Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC) — a unique sanctuary overlooking the sea that houses several chapels, an extensive library, and two museums on site where students will both live and work for the remaining duration.
For more information on the location, visit the website for Orthodox Academy of Crete.
Each day will comprise an average of 6 hours of studio time paired with relaxed visits in the afternoons to museums, churches and monasteries to see inspiring ancient and contemporary examples of iconography. Students will share lunches and can join in curated evenings of food, discussion, music and poetry.
The program is good for beginners or advanced, as all instruction is individualized.
The school will be conducted in English.
PART 1 Program: ATHENS
AUGUST 7 –10th
The first part of the summer school will be held in Athens at the Mets Arts Center and the new Eikonourgia Teaching Studio. Time will be spent getting to know one another while immersing in learning and reinforcing the iconographic techniques of contemporary Byzantine drawing. Each day will have an average of 6 hours of studio time balanced with several museum and church trips to see some of Dr. Kordis’s local icon work.
NOTE: For this part of the summer school all food and lodging options will be booked and paid for independently by the student. The night of August 10th will be reserved for an overnight trip by boat to Crete (or early plane ride the morning of August 11th, as preferred).
Note: Some of the below day to day itinerary may still slightly change to best optimize the experience prior to the summer school dates in 2022. The dates will not.
Sunday. 8.7
18.00 Welcome reception at Mets Art Centre
Monday. 8.8
09.00 Mets Centre, studio time
12.00 Lunch
13.00–16.00 Byzantine Museum
19.30 Dinner (small groups, optional)
Tuesday. 8.9
09.00 Mets Centre, studio time
12.00 Lunch
13.00–16.00 Studio time
16.00 Excursion to church to see icon work
19.00 Dinner (small groups, optional)
Wednesday. 8.10
09.00 Mets Centre, studio time
12.00 Lunch
13.00–16.00 Studio Time
Free time, dinner
Boat to Crete from Piraeus (exact time TBA — overnight ride arriving early Sunday morning, or plane ride to arrive in the early morning is an alternate option)
PART 2 Program: CRETE
August 11— August 18
The second part of the summer school is spent with a focus on icon painting while at the beautiful Orthodox Academy Of Crete (OAC: www.oac.gr) — a unique sanctuary in the mountainous hills of Northern Crete near the village of Kisamos overlooking the ocean and within walking distance of both village and beach. The Academy hosts two Botanical Museums, an extensive library as well as several ancient churches on-site. The food is highly rated and is included in the separate lodging cost. Students registered in the program are required to stay at the OAC for the best group experience (spouses and other family members welcomed ~ scroll down for specific information). The stay will be split between daily studio work with a focus on icon painting and optional trips (included in cost) to monasteries to visit significant ancient icon paintings, monasteries and churches.
Thursday, 8.11
07.00 Transfer from Port of Souda or Chania Airport to the
OAC
08.30 – 09.30 Breakfast
09.40 Welcome Greetings
Dr. Konstantinos B. Zormpas,
General – Director of OAC
Mrs Keri Wiederspahn ,
Program Coordinator
Dr George Kordis ,
Master Iconographer – Instructor
Konstantina Stefanaki,
Iconographer and
Study leader of the OAC
10.00 – 11.20
Introduction to the work of
OAC, tour at the OAC, visit at
the Botanical Museum of OAC
12.00 Lunch
14.00 – 18.00 Workshop
19.00 Welcome reception
20.00 Dinner
Friday. 8.12
08.00 Breakfast
09.00 Workshop
12.00 Lunch
13.00 – 16.00 Workshop
16.10 Departure to Falasarna Beach
19.00 Departure to the OAC
20.00 Dinner
Saturday. 8.13
08.00 Breakfast
09.00 Workshop
12.00 Lunch
13.00 – 16.00 Workshop
16.30 Excursion to the church of
Archangel Michael, Rotonda
Episkopi, the Church of Saint
Stephan – Drakona and the
Church of Saint John the
Herimit- Marathokefala
20.00 Dinner
Sunday. 8.14
08.00 Breakfast
09.00-10.00 Visit the Holy Monastery of
Gonias and the Museum of Icons
10.30 Workshop
13.00 Lunch
14.00 – 17.30 Workshop
18.00 Buffet
19.30 Vesper of the Feast of the
“ Dormition of the Theotokos”,
at the Holy Monastery of Gonias
Free afternoon and Dinner
Monday. 8.15
Feast of the “Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos”
08.30 – 09.30 Breakfast
Holy Liturgy at the Holy Monastery of Gonias
Free Day / Excursion
Tuesday. 8.16
08.00 Breakfast
09.00 – 09.45 The History and the Culture
of Crete, Emanuela Larentzakis
09.50 Workshop
12.45 Lunch
13.45 – 15.45 Workshop
16.00 Departure
Visit at the Holy Monasteries of
Chrysopigis and the Holy Trinity and
the Museum of Icons, small tour at
the old city of Chania
20.30 Dinner at the old harbor of
Chania
22.30 Departure to OAC
Wednesday, 17.08
08.00 Breakfast
09.00 Workshop
13.00 Lunch
14.00 – 16.00 Workshop and conclusion of the
Seminar
Free time
19.30 Dinner
Cretan night with traditional music,
musicians and dancers
Thursday, 18.08
Breakfast
Departure
(the OAC will help arrange transport to the port of Souda or airport)
Coffee and tea will be available throughout the workshop.
::Students are on their own after this for return to Athens or continued travel in Greece::
COST DETAIL:
Tuition: $1500 with a 20% non-refundable deposit of $300 to secure a spot (applied to total).
Second installment of $600 due in February 2022 with any remaining amounts due in April (all registered students will be billed accordingly).
Note: If the pandemic still prevents our summer school in 2022, we will allow refunds or continued postponement holding, with the $300 deposit allowed to be applied to any of the on-line learning programs (remaining non-refundable).
Crete Orthodox Center Fee:
(please do a dollar/native conversion in real time as it will need to be paid in Euros, converged from your bank at time of payment)
Choose from:
- 825 EUR per person for single room accommodation at the OAC.
- 615 EUR per person for double room accommodation at the OAC.
- 560 EUR per child for double room accommodation at the OAC.
ALL STUDENTS ARE WELCOME TO BRING A SPOUSE or TRAVEL FRIEND (or a child 12 and older or under 12 if accompanied with a parent/care-giver) by paying per person for the Orthodox Center Fee.
For the OAC fees, students will need to remit the full amount one month before arrival — on or by July 8th. This amount will be non-refundable. We will give instructions on how to secure the payment directly to the OAC after the main tuition deposit has been made.
The OAC fee includes:
- Welcome reception
- Accommodation at the OAC’s rooms with breakfast
- Lunches and Dinners at the OAC (with red/white wine) according to the traditional Cretan cuisine
- Coffee and Tea, biscuits available throughout the Workshop
- Transfers by bus from the Port of Souda, Chania to the OAC as you come by ship from Piraeus, Athens or from the Chania airport (CHQ) to the OAC
ALL EXCURSIONS:
- To the church of Archangel Michael, Rotonda Episkopi,the Church of Saint Stephan – Drakona and Church of Saint John the Herimit- Marathokefala
- Visit at the Holy Monasteries of Chrysopigis and the Holy Trinity and the Museum of Icons, the Grave of Benizelos, small tour at the old city of Chania
- Dinner at the old harbor of Chania
- Falasarna Beach
https://www.chania-vacation.com/our-favorites/falasarna-beach/
- Traditional live Cretan night with traditional music, musicians and dancers
Depending on the Coronavirus/EU national regulations, prices may slightly change for the excursions, accommodations, etc. and we will inform you well in advance of travel.
REGISTRATION PROCESS:
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Currently, we are only accepting interested students onto a wait list due to the postponement of Summer 2020 & 2021. Please fill out the interest form through the red registration button tat the top of this page to be added to the wait list.
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Await an email with more information and if/when you can move on to a formal registration process.
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If notified of a space opening, you would need to pay tuition deposit promptly ($300) plus additional tuition installments (spread out for a combined total of $1500) after receiving confirmation email of your intention to deposit with specific depositing instructions with acknowledgement of all updated caveats for unexpected future postponement/changes.
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You will only need to pay the Orthodox Center Lodging deposit one month out from the actual event (it is non-refundable from that point).
NOTE:
- You will need to independently secure your air travel to and from Athens, Greece, as well as your travel to and from Crete.
- You will also need to independently secure 3 nights lodging while in Athens (8.7 — 8.9, as well as 8.10 if you prefer to fly to Crete on the morning of 8.11)
- You will need to budget for all of your food allowance and spending money during the time in Athens.
(Look for hotels and Airbnb’s near the “Mets”, “Plaka” or “Pangrati” areas of Athens).
The ferry boat is an additional cost which must be booked in advance (link for tickets will be shared closer to the date, with an average of $60 per person economy seat, with more for bed). Your round trip travel to Crete can be made by boat or by plane. The Orthodox Academy will be able to provide transport to and from the OAC upon arrival from either the port or airport (* all arrivals must aim to be close to 7am on Thursday morning, August 11th). Bear in mind that most airlines from Athens to Crete will not post schedules for August until Spring 2022.
REGARDING REGISTRATION & REFUND POLICY
* The $300 US Dollar deposit is non-refundable, yet it will be transferable in the event that we should we have to cancel again due to the pandemic — make sure to secure all travel and Athens lodging with generous policy for any changes/cancellations. We do not anticipate a cancelation in 2022.
* Should you need to cancel attendance you will receive a refund for any balance paid minus the deposit with the deposit turning into usable credit towards other programs of Iconography Today if there are pandemic-related cancellation reasons and notified prior to June 15th, 2022. If you cancel attendance after June 15th, you will forfeit your deposit, and will only be refunded your remaining amount paid. You may also choose to apply this year’s unused tuition and deposit in full to summer of 2023 so you will not lose your full investment if you have to withdraw at the last minute.
* We will work as generously as possible with students experiencing pandemic-related travel issues. Usually this will be handled on a case-by-case basis. We understand there are many factors beyond your control with travel in the current situation, and we ask that you be up-to-date with the travel restrictions for entering Greece, your time in Greece, as well as requirements for your own country while traveling abroad.
We currently have a long wait list of people wishing to attend in 2022.
We hope to have you join us for this rare opportunity to learn iconography from master George Kordis in the beautiful and peaceful setting of Greece.
