WRITING THE LIGHT
George Kordis Icon Workshops
Oct.-Nov. 2019: Enders Island, CT | USA Workshop
LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE!
Along the Atlantic on a peaceful island just off the coast of Connecticut (and close to New York City) is a unique retreat-style opportunity to delve into icon drawing and/or painting with Dr. Kordis.
Enders Island is an all-inclusive Catholic Retreat Center with full affordable lodging options (shared or private) as well as a gourmet dining experience. The workshop is held in a generous light-filled studio space as part of their Sacred Arts Institute.
This Workshop will be offered in two parts to enable students to take one or both parts -- good for both beginners or advanced iconographers (with only 12 students per workshop):
BYZANTINE DRAWING: Oct. 28 - Nov. 1
::Limited space::
A four-day opportunity to learn Byzantine Drawing with composition, composition and mentored practice.
BYZANTINE PAINTING: Nov. 3 - Nov. 8
::Limited space::
A five-day painting retreat to learn how to use the original Byzantine tetrachrome (four color) palette in egg tempera and complete your own icon.
This peaceful retreat setting has convenient access from the major airports of both Boston and NYC.
If interested, simply click the buttons below to be directed to the Enders Island Sacred Arts Institute for complete pricing and detailed information.
Registration is almost full -- don't delay.
We hope to see you soon!
Williamsburg, VA | USA Workshop
*Dates soon to be announced for 2020*
Held at the beautiful St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church and Hellenic Center in the renowned Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, this icon painting workshop is a wonderful opportunity to work closely with Dr. Kordis surrounded in a great aesthetic environment. The daily classes are held in a serene and generous light-filled space adjacent to the main church in the new Hellenic Center.
This five-day icon painting workshop with Dr. Kordis will be an intensive icon painting experience learning the egg tempera methods of the Byzantine tetrachrome (four-color) palette with in-depth instruction in drawing, composition, and various painting techniques and many iconographic methods Dr. Kordis has mastered in his practice. It is a good choice for both beginning students or more advanced as Dr. Kordis skillfully individualizes all instruction based on each student's experience and ability.
Explore Williamsburg and be present to study in a great location with incredible and gracious hosts -- Kimi and Nick Vlahakis. They always work hard at making it a beautiful experience for all.
Again, spaces are filling quickly -- with only 12 students total per workshop. Please note the yellow button below is not yet active for 2020 — check back for more details and pricing information. Registration will be made direct through the link below.
Summer 2020: CRETE & Athens, Greece
JUNE 24 - JULY 4th
Held primarily on the inspiring and peaceful island of Crete, this summer icon painting study program will allow balanced immersive 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.
The learning intensive will begin in Athens at Dr. Kordis's Mets Art Center with a focus on honing drawing skills and a chance to visit various key examples of Dr. Kordis's work locally as well as visit the Byzantine Museum together. The group will then transition by boat to Crete to continue learning through focused techniques in egg tempera painting in the peaceful and inspiring Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC) -- a unique sanctuary that houses several chapels, an extensive library, and two museums on site where students will both live and work for the duration. See website for Orthodox Academy of Crete.
*NOTE: As of mid-October, registration is close to full capacity with very limited spaces remaining.
(see more details by scrolling below)
OVERVIEW:
The Summer Iconography School is a unique opportunity to immerse in learning from one of the top contemporary masters of iconography with Dr. George Kordis in his native country of Greece. This inaugural program will begin with four days spent in Athens drawing at the Mets Art Centre, home to Dr. Kordis’s Eikonourgia School of Iconography and the Mets Centre Art Gallery. The group will then transition to Crete by boat to enjoy another week of learning with Dr. Kordis with a painting focus at the renowned Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC) in a peaceful, converted monastery overlooking the sea.
Each day will be comprised of an average of 6 hours of studio time paired with relaxed visits to museums and monasteries to see inspiring ancient and contemporary examples of iconography.
Good for beginners or advanced, as all instruction is individualized.
Limit of 16 students total.
PART 1 Program: ATHENS
June 24 — June 27
The first part of the summer school is 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 work.
NOTE: For this part of the summer school all food and lodging options will be booked and paid for independently per student. The night of the 27th will be reserved for an overnight trip by boat to Crete as an additional fee outside of tuition.
Some of the below day to day itinerary may still slightly change to best optimize the experience prior to the summer school dates in 2020. The dates will not.
Tuesday. 6.23
18.00 Welcome cocktail reception at Mets Art Centre
19.30 Optional group dinner out
Wednesday. 6.24
09.00 Mets Centre, studio time
12.00 Lunch
13.00–16.00 Byzantine Museum
19.30 Dinner (small groups, optional)
Thursday. 6.25
09.00 Mets Centre, studio time
12.00 Lunch
13.00–16.00 studio time
19.30 Dinner (small groups, optional)
Friday. 6.26
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)
Saturday. 6.27
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)
PART 2 Program: CRETE
June 28 — July 4
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 outside 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, and 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 and churches.
Sunday, 6.28
07.00 Transfer from Port of Souda to the OAC
08.30 – 09.30 Breakfast
Holy Liturgy at the Holy Monastery of
Gonia
10.20 - 11.00 Visit the Museum of Icons at the
Holy Monastery of Gonias
13.00 Lunch
14.30 – 18.00 Workshop
19.00 Welcome reception
20.00 Dinner
Monday, 6.29
08.00 -09.00 Breakfast
09.00 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
09.20 Introduction to the work of
OAC, tour at the OAC, visit at
the Botanical Museum of OAC
10.30 Workshop
13.00 Lunch
14.00-16.00 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
19.30 Dinner
Tuesday, 6.30
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 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, 7.1
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
Thursday, 7.2
08.00 Breakfast
09.00 Workshop
12.00 Lunch
13.00- 16.00 Workshop
Free afternoon and dinner
Friday, 7.3
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
Saturday, 7.4
Breakfast
Departure with transport back to Chania Port of Souda
::Students are on their own after this for return to Athens or continued travel in Greece::
COST DETAIL:
Tuition: $1500 with a 20% deposit of $300 to secure spot (applied to total). It will become non refundable after October 1, 2019.
Remaining amount due in full by JAN. 1, 2020.
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:
• 765 EUR per person for single room accommodation at the OAC.
• 585 EUR per person for double room accommodation at the OAC.
• 530 EUR per child for double room accommodation at the OAC.
For the OAC, students will need to remit the full amount the last one and half month before arrival, by Friday, 15th May 2020. This amount will be non-refundable. We will give instructions on how to secure the payment on this part 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, dinner on Tuesday night at the old harbor of Chania
• Coffee and Tea, biscuits available throughout the Workshop
• Transfers from Port of Souda, Chania to the OAC, as you come by ship from Piraeus,
Athens or from Chania airport (CHQ) to the OAC
• ALL EXCURSIONS:
1. To the church of Archangel Michael, Rotonda Episkopi,
the Church of Saint Stephan – Drakona and Church of Saint John the Herimit- Marathokefala
2. 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
3. Falasarna Beach
https://www.chania-
• Traditional live Cretan night with traditional music, musicians and dancers
TO REGISTER:
-
Fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/
nGZTRpzLtpMxtvFN7
Please be sure to complete all required questions. -
Pay tuition deposit ($300) or tuition whole ($1500) after receiving confirmation email of your intention to deposit with specific depositing instructions.
-
Pay Orthodox Center Lodging deposit when you wish by May 15, 2020 — but when you do, it will need to be in full and is non-refundable.
You will need to independently secure your air travel to and from Athens, Greece.
You will also need to independently secure 4 nights lodging while in Athens for the nights of June 23, 24, 25 & 26 and budget for all your food allowance during this time.
(Look for hotels and Airbnb’s near the “Mets area” of Athens).
The ferry boat is an additional cost which must be booked in advance (link for tickets will be shared in January 2020, with an average of $60 per person economy seat, with more for bed). Your return from Crete can be made by boat or by plane. Should you choose to take a plane TO Crete, you will need to secure your own passage to the Orthodox Center upon arrival at the airport (* please make sure to notify us of this intention).
REGARDING REGISTRATION & REFUND POLICY
* The $300 US Dollar deposit is non-refundable. (Please note: in the event that you should not be able to attend, this amount will be used to assist future students with financial need who desire to pursue iconography).
* All remaining tuition balance will be due by Jan. 1, 2020
* Should you need to cancel attendance prior to Jan. 1, 2020, you will receive a refund for any balance paid minus the deposit.
*. Should you need to cancel attendance after Jan. 1, 2020, we will need to subtract an additional $125 US dollar by each month, Jan. through May. Cancellations made up to May 1st will thus only receive a refund of $700. Any cancellations made after May 1st would only be able to be refunded $500 US dollars. Any cancellations made after June 1 will not receive any refund.
We are sorry for the strict policy, but it is a very limited opportunity!
We hope to have you join us for this rare opportunity to learn iconography from iconography master George Kordis in the beautiful and peaceful setting of Greece.
