NEW ~ An Immersive Sacred Art and Cultural Residency 

Bucharest, Romania

October 11–18, 2026

Writing the Light is pleased to offer this very special residency in collaboration with Mihai Coman, one of the leading contemporary voices in Romanian sacred art and fresco painting.

Students will spend a week in Bucharest studying iconography and fresco while exploring some of the most extraordinary churches and monasteries of Romania. The residency offers a rare opportunity to encounter the living tradition of Orthodox sacred art through studio practice, pilgrimage, and direct engagement with both historic and contemporary church painting.

Over the course of the week, participants will work closely with Mihai within his studio and gallery environment while also traveling to significant ecclesiastical and cultural sites throughout Bucharest and beyond. The program combines focused artistic instruction with carefully curated visits to churches, monasteries, and monumental fresco programs that reveal the richness and continuity of the Romanian iconographic tradition.

Romania preserves one of the most remarkable continuities of Orthodox church painting in Europe. Through hands-on studio work and direct encounters with sacred spaces, students will experience iconography not simply as a historical art form, but as a living visual and spiritual language that continues to unfold today.

The residency is intended for artists, iconographers, students, and those seeking deeper immersion into the visual culture and creative practice of the Orthodox tradition. It is an especially important residency opportunity for students participating in the Sacred Space program, while also remaining open to both independent and Certificate students as a unique opportunity to enter more deeply into this remarkable iconographic world.

Read more about Mihai Coman.

 

Learn More

Stavropoleos Monastery, Bucharest

Location

Fundația Bizantina | Bucharest, Romania

Studio sessions and gatherings for the residency will be based at Fundația Bizantina (The Bizantina Foundation), one of Bucharest’s most important contemporary centers dedicated to Byzantine culture, sacred art, and Orthodox intellectual life.

Located near Piața Unirii in the historic heart of Bucharest at Strada Bibescu Vodă 20, the Foundation houses a respected cultural gallery and Orthodox bookshop that serves as an active gathering place for artists, theologians, musicians, and those engaged in the living traditions of Byzantine culture.

Surrounded by historic churches, monasteries, and layers of Romanian architectural history, the Foundation offers an inspiring environment for study and artistic practice deeply connected to the cultural and spiritual life of the city.

The Foundation is also situated near the Romanian Patriarchy, with convenient access to nearby accommodations and dining, including a comfortable hotel and restaurant within walking distance of the residency activities.

Its central location additionally provides easy access to many of Bucharest’s most significant ecclesiastical and cultural sites, allowing the residency to unfold naturally between studio practice, pilgrimage, conversation, and exploration within one of Eastern Europe’s richest centers of Orthodox artistic heritage.

 

Working in the Studio with Mihai Coman

The mornings and early afternoons will be devoted to studio work under Mihai’s guidance.

Participants will engage in an immersive introduction to buon fresco, accompanied by daily sketching as a foundation for the work.

The program will begin with drawing studies—and a painted study of an angel in egg tempera to learn the rhythm that underlies visual language of the Byzantine system and Coman’s personal approach. These exercises will serve as the basis for the larger fresco work that follows. 

Over the course of the residency, participants will have multiple opportunities to work across two fresco panels.  Through this process, students will experience the unique rhythm, timing, and discipline required when working with wet plaster.

Emphasis will be placed on observation, process, and the translation of drawing into fresco, offering a direct encounter with this foundational technique of Byzantine painting. 

Fresco is no longer widely taught, especially in a hands-on, process-based way. Romania offers a rare context in which this tradition is still alive, practiced continuously, and connected to real architectural and liturgical spaces. 

The studio instruction with Mihai Coman is access to a genuinely rare form of knowledge, practice, and cultural continuity. 

About Buon Fresco
Buon Fresco—Italian for “true fresco”—is one of the oldest and most enduring techniques of mural painting. Pigments are applied directly onto freshly laid wet lime plaster, bonding the color permanently into the wall as it dries. This technique, used in Byzantine churches for centuries, requires precision, speed, and a deep understanding of both materials and iconographic tradition. 

What the Course Covers:

• Fresco Painting as Liturgy: Explore how iconographic themes interact with architectural form, understanding the wall painting as a living, organic element of the temple—a visual liturgy in stone and color.
• Various Projects: Paint both an angel study in egg tempera and two other subjects using the Buon Fresco method under the expert guidance of Mihai Coman.
• Technical Studies: Engage in focused drawing with compositional planning, and enter into the specific painting techniques.
• Materials & Techniques: Learn the properties of lime, pigments, and tools, and understand how ancient practices inform contemporary sacred art.

• A Look at Contemporary Fresco: A chance to see some examples of Romanian contemporary wall painting work and discuss current methods through Mihai’s special presentation.

 

Who Should Attend:
This course is best suited for intermediate to advanced iconographers or artists with prior experience in icon drawing and painting who are eager to deepen their practice and work on a larger scale.  It is open to students outside the Certificate Program.

This can count towards one residency for Certificate or SACRED SPACE students (the new Church Wall-Painting Program).

All materials are included in the residency with panels, pigments, grounds and certain brushes.  Other brushes will be available for purchase during the residency.  Students are encouraged to bring some of their own brushes for certain portions of the workshop experience as well as a sketchbook.

 

Excursions

A highlight of the week is the addition of the special curated excursions when participants will visit several important sites connected to the history and contemporary practice of iconography and sacred art in Romania. 

Visits will include:

• Stavropoleos Monastery (1724) – one of the most beautiful monastic churches in Bucharest
• Doamnei Church (1680) – an important example of Romanian ecclesiastical architecture
• The Medieval Gallery of the National Museum of Art – home to significant icons and sacred works

Participants will also visit Mihai Coman’s first fresco church in Bucharest, where he will discuss the process of designing and executing a complete fresco cycle as well as visit a church painted by fellow contemporary iconographer Gabriel Chituc.

Additional excursions outside of Bucharest to include:
• St. Nicholas Church in Câmpina, featuring one of the most important fresco cycles by the renowned Romanian painter Grigore Popescu.

During the residency we will also feature a special day-long excursion to the Oltenia region, home to several remarkable monastic foundations from the 17th and 18th centuries — Surpatele, Arnota and Hurezi Monasteries. 

These visits will enrich the whole experience for participants.  See direct links below in the agenda to see more details.

Daily Agenda

Basic structure to the week

Each day will follow a gentle rhythm that balances focused studio practice with encounters with Romania’s sacred art.

Morning Studio Session
9:00 – 12:00 

Lunch Break
12:00 – 13:00 Students can partake of a simple and healthy Romanian lunch (independent) during the midday break in the nearby restaurant of the Patriarchy.

Afternoons

13:00 – evening: Extended Studio time & excursions

In the afternoons, the group will have added studio time after lunch as well as unique scheduled guided excursions to explore churches, monasteries, and important examples of Romanian sacred art — including both old and contemporary icons.

 

DAY BY DAY SCHEDULE

1. Sunday, October 11th

Arrival and Welcome Day

16.00 Participants meet at the Bizantina Foundation (upstairs from Libraria Bizantina) in the late afternoon for the introduction to the residency and overview of the week with Mihai Coman.  Mihai will give a presentation of his work and students will have a chance to meet one another.  We will celebrate the first night together in Romania with a group Welcome Dinner.

 

2. Monday, October 12th 

09.00 Meet at Bizantina Foundation 

Begin Workshop Session

10.00 –12.00 presentation of true fresco (technique, materials – lime, plaster, colors, brushes)

12.00 Lunch

13.00–16.00 Drawing an angel – portrait, prep plaster, materials

Afternoon excursion to Stavropoleos Monastery, Doamnei

 

3. Tuesday, October 13th 

09.00 Workshop Session

10.00 – 12.00 Painting angel portrait, egg tempera on board 

(getting ready for wall painting)

12.00 Lunch

13.00 — 15.00 Painting continues

15.00 Excursion Trip to Calarasi: Visit the Anastaseos Chapel with new frescoes of Mihai Coman, and the Brancovan Martyrs Church with new frescoes of Gabriel Chituc.

 

4. Wednesday, October 14th

SPECIAL FULL DAY TRIP to Oltenia Monasteries

The group will travel two hours outside of Bucharest to Surpatele Monastery, Arnota Monastery, and Hurezi Monasteries, having a special lunch on site at one of the monasteries.  The excursion leaves Bucharest at 7 am for a full day of exploration. 

These monasteries preserve remarkable examples of 17th–18th century Romanian church painting.

Surpatele Monastery

Arnota Monastery

Hurezi Monastery (UNESCO site)

 

5. Thursday, October 15th

09.00 – 12.00 Fresco Painting

12.00 Lunch

13.00–16.00 More painting

16.00 – Visit The Medieval Gallery National Museum

Explore the local area, with a free evening

 

6. Friday, October 16th

09.00 – 12.00 Workshop session –  fresco painting

12.00 Lunch

13.00 Afternoon excursion to Campina and Snagov monastery 

St. Nicholas Church in Câmpina (75 km from Bucharest), one of the most important fresco works of the painter Grigore Popescu.  Exploration of stylistic development in modern Romanian church painting. Students are encouraged to bring sketchbooks along.

19.00 — 20.00 Optional evening painting session in the studio after dinner if timing merits.

 

7. Saturday, October 17th  

09.00 – 12.00 Workshop session –  fresco painting

12.00 Lunch

13.00–16.00 Final fresco painting session

Group Dinner at the renowned Caru’ cu bere restaurant in old city center with live traditional music.

~ Goodbyes ~

 

8. Sunday, October 18th 

Departures — Travel day 

For those who leave in the afternoon or stay on – visit and experience of Holy Liturgy at St Gregory Palama Church Bucharest (home to Coman’s first fresco work) (8.00-10.30 am).

Lodging

Participants will arrange accommodations independently during the residency week.

We will provide a special registration link for students wishing to stay at the convenient accommodations through the Romanian Patriarchy, located only a few minutes walking distance from the daily studio sessions at Fundația Bizantina.

In addition, Bucharest offers a wide range of affordable Airbnb options, hotels, and hostels throughout the city for participants who may prefer alternative accommodations depending on budget and travel preferences.

Additional lodging recommendations and booking information will be provided to all registered participants.

Other

A certificate of completion will be provided to students for this experience on behalf of Writing the Light, Graphais (Mihai Coman) and Fundația Bizantină. 

This gives participants: 

 an official record of participation; 

 something they can include in their portfolio/cv; 

 a professional reference for the experience. 

 

Residency Cost for Studio Tuition & Excursions

THE RESIDENCY TUITION COST INCLUDES:

• Daily studio instruction and artistic guidance with master Romanian iconographer and fresco painter Mihai Coman
  • Guided visits to significant churches, monasteries, and fresco sites throughout Bucharest and surrounding areas
  • Group transportation associated with organized residency excursions and scheduled site visits
  • Curated cultural and artistic program schedule throughout the week
  • Unique access to contemporary Romanian sacred art studios, exhibitions, and artistic dialogue
  • Lectures, discussions, and informal conversations surrounding iconography, fresco, aesthetics, and contemporary sacred art practice
  • Immersive participation within the living tradition of Romanian Orthodox artistic culture
  • Fresco materials and shared studio supplies, including fresco and tempera supports, mediums, pigments, and some selected brushes and tools for use during the residency
  • Opening and closing group dinners, and the monastery lunch in Campina
  • Residency coordination, organizational support, and on-site assistance throughout the program

 

Please note:
• Airfare is not included
• Accommodations are arranged independently by participants, though recommended lodging options located near the residency will be provided upon registration
• Most lunches and dinners outside of the opening and closing meals are not included, allowing participants flexibility throughout the week

 

COST:

Early Bird Registration Tuition & Excursions: €1,250
(for deposits received by July 1, 2026)

Standard Tuition & Excursions After July 1: €1,350

 

ONCE YOUR DEPOSIT IS MADE, you will receive additional follow-up information from us at Writing the Light.

The final billing invoices (minus the deposit amount) will be sent in late July and will be due in early August.  Students are welcome to request to be invoiced for the full amount at time of registration.  

 

Companion Participation Option

A limited number of companion participation options are available for spouses or partners wishing to join selected cultural excursions, organized group visits, and the opening and closing dinners during the residency week — not the studio portion.

Companion Participation Fee: €350

This participation option includes:
• Group transportation during scheduled excursions
• Participation in organized cultural and monastery visits
• Opening and closing group dinners
• Residency coordination associated with the excursion schedule

Please note that the companion option does not include studio instruction or artistic materials.

All companion registration must be fulfilled by emailing directly to keri@writingthelight.com.

REGARDING REGISTRATION & REFUND POLICY 

* The 400 euros deposit is non-refundable

* Make sure to secure all travel and lodging with a generous policy for any changes/cancellations.

*  Should you need to cancel attendance you will receive a refund for any balance paid minus the non-refundable deposit if we are notified prior to September 1st.  If you cancel attendance after September 1st, you will forfeit your deposit, and will only be refunded your remaining amount paid minus an additional 100 euro administrative fee, OR you may also choose to apply your unused tuition and deposit in full to next year’s program so you will not lose your full investment if you unfortunately have to withdraw at the last minute.
* We will work as generously as possible with students experiencing unforeseen illness or travel issues that prevent attendance.  Usually this will be handled on a case-by-case basis. We understand there are many factors beyond our control with travel, and we ask that you be up-to-date with all travel policies for entering Romania, your time while in Romania, as well as requirements for your own country while traveling abroad.

We always try to work to make an agreeable outcome for any cancellations.

 

Please contact Director Keri Wiederspahn for any further questions: keri@writingthelight.com.