Member Opening Reception: Heavenly Excess: Luxe Icons from Late Imperial Russia

Member Exclusive Event RegisterRegistration required by May 2 Heavenly Excess: Luxe Icons from Late Imperial Russia, an exploration of the fascinating world of religious icons adorned with decorative covers known as revetments. Enjoy a glass of wine while mingling with......More

Member Exclusive Event RegisterRegistration required by May 2 Heavenly Excess: Luxe Icons from Late Imperial Russia, an exploration of the fascinating world of religious icons adorned with decorative covers known as revetments. Enjoy a glass of wine while mingling with fellow Museum members and marvel at the luxurious materials, including enamel, and intricate techniques such as filigree and engraving, combined with ornamental patterns and décor in gold and silver. These stunning artworks evoke a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time, even as they were produced through nearly industrial methods. Amid a period of cultural tension and transition, the demand for luxury items grew significantly, with exquisite icons being created on a larger scale than ever before. This shift was supported by experts in art history and archaeology, who romanticized a mythical past where craftsmanship was passed down through generations. The exhibition showcases remarkable works by well-known artisans such as Semenov, Zverev, Kurlyukov, Ovchinnikov, Khlebnikov, and Pankratyev, reflecting a Neo-Byzantine style reminiscent of medieval Constantinople and the origins of East Slavic Christianity in Crimea. Members are welcome to register one additional guest for this event.

The Icon Museum and Study Center

CANCELED Afternoon with the Author: Elyse Durham

This program has been canceled.  Join author Elyse Durham in our Museum Shop for an insightful peek into the making of her newest novel, Maya & Natasha, followed by a short reading from her book and a Q&A, alongside complimentary tea, coffee, and treats. As the Cold War......More

This program has been canceled.  Join author Elyse Durham in our Museum Shop for an insightful peek into the making of her newest novel, Maya & Natasha, followed by a short reading from her book and a Q&A, alongside complimentary tea, coffee, and treats. As the Cold War heats up, twin sisters and ballet dancers Maya and Natasha must confront their loyalties: to East versus West to the government that saved them versus their dreams of freedom and, always, to each other. A graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, Elyse Durham’s fiction has or will soon appear in the Cimarron Review, the Cincinnati Review, Image, and elsewhere. She is an Elizabeth George grantee and has held residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, the Glen Arbor Arts Center, and the Mount, the home of Edith Wharton. She lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan with her husband, who is a Greek Orthodox priest. Bring your own copy for the author to sign! Don’t have your own? Copies will be available to purchase in the Museum Shop.

The Icon Museum and Study Center

Free First Sunday

Join us for a fun and free day at the Museum, where everyone is welcome to explore our iconic art collection! Enjoy complimentary admission all day, thanks to the Nypro Foundation.

The Icon Museum and Study Center

"Rhythm and Light" Icon Workshop with Master Iconographer Dr. George Kordis

Member $1,105, Not-yet-member $1,300 Join us for an exclusive six-day workshop with Dr. George Kordis on drawing and painting icons in the Byzantine System with his school, Writing the Light. The workshop will be held at the Icon Museum from Monday, June 23rd, through S......More

Member $1,105, Not-yet-member $1,300 Join us for an exclusive six-day workshop with Dr. George Kordis on drawing and painting icons in the Byzantine System with his school, Writing the Light. The workshop will be held at the Icon Museum from Monday, June 23rd, through Saturday, June 28th, from 9 am to 4 pm daily in the museum’s auditorium. Purchase TicketsThis is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in daily hands-on creative sessions with a Greek master and learn his unique, in-depth techniques in an icon museum setting. All students of this workshop are invited to attend an artist panel with George Kordis about his work and contemporary Byzantine iconography on June 22nd at 2 pm, along with the showing of a 20-minute documentary “Heaven on Earth” which shares the creative process with Kordis during November 2023 as he designed and painted the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Mannheim, Germany. It will be the US premiere of the new documentary at the museum. Students will also be invited to attend the opening of an exhibition of Kordis’s icons on display in the South Gallery of the Museum on June 26th. The exhibition will be on view until September 15th. Click here to learn more about the exhibition. Some highlights of the workshop include: Instruction that benefits both beginners and experienced iconographersA focus on drawing using the Byzantine System and Kordis’s unique method of using dry egg tempera with underpaintingIn-depth instruction on the principles and techniques of Byzantine iconography to create unique icons that are not copied, but still adhere to traditionAn opportunity to see, learn, and experience the art of creating Byzantine iconography from a master iconographerDr. Kordis, a globally recognized artist and master iconographer, is a prolific author, teacher, and Byzantine Art scholar celebrated as a world leader in the contemporary revival of Byzantine iconography. With numerous wall-painting commissions adorning churches and cathedrals across the globe, and an impressive exhibition history in European museums and galleries, this marks the first time his icons will be showcased in an American Museum. This workshop, coupled with an exhibition, artist talk, and screening, presents an extraordinary opportunity for art enthusiasts and students to learn directly from Dr. Kordis within the United States. To learn more about George Kordis and to see more of his work, visit Writing the Light or his Instagram profile. CANCELLATION POLICY Please read the following policy carefully before registering. In order to keep tuition prices as low as possible and to accommodate the maximum number of students, no exceptions to this policy will be made. Cancellations must be submitted in writing to [email protected] cancellations by phone are not accepted. Upon receipt of written cancellation, registration fees will be refunded per the following schedule: On or before March 17, 2025: 75% of registration will be refunded. On or before May 5, 2025: 50% of registration will be refunded. After May 5, 2025: No refunds will be offered for any reason. Please note: We are not able to offer partial refunds, transfers, or credits for students who do not attend the full course. IF YOU REGISTER AND DO NOT RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL WITHIN 24 HOURS, please email [email protected] and/or check your spam folder.

The Icon Museum and Study Center

Annual Kent dur Russell Lecture with Sir Richard Temple

Born of the Virgin Mary, a Study in Esoteric Christianity  Members and invited guests This lecture by London-based gallerist and icon expert Sir Richard Temple considers Mary’s cosmic status and identifies stages in her journey from human existence to her higher life in......More

Born of the Virgin Mary, a Study in Esoteric Christianity  Members and invited guests This lecture by London-based gallerist and icon expert Sir Richard Temple considers Mary’s cosmic status and identifies stages in her journey from human existence to her higher life in Eternity. The tradition of the Virgin Queen of Heaven long predates Christianity and manifests in various goddesses whose feminine qualities become attributes of Mary. The Byzantine epithet Theotokos, “Bearer of God,” implies celestial events on a scale we cannot fathom. All this can be inferred from a reading of the symbolism in icons and reference to apocryphal writings. Orthodox sacred imagery illustrates Mary’s role in sacred tradition, her practice of contemplative prayer and her ascent to the highest levels of realization and enlightenment.

The Icon Museum and Study Center

Hybrid Contemporary Russian Literature Book Group

New members always welcome. You can join in person or via Zoom. This month’s book is Patriot by Alexei Navalny. Patriot: A Memoir is a posthumous non-fiction book authored by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. A self-described memoir, Patriot is Navalny’s second ......More

New members always welcome. You can join in person or via Zoom. This month’s book is Patriot by Alexei Navalny. Patriot: A Memoir is a posthumous non-fiction book authored by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. A self-described memoir, Patriot is Navalny’s second book, following Opposing Forces (2016). Patriot details Navalny’s life and career. The first portion of the book is written in narrative form, detailing his life and career, while the second portion is in the form of a prison memoir. Please contact [email protected] for the Zoom link.  

Virtual