OAJ Tour of the Balkans Led by Andrew Gould
The Orthodox Arts Journal is sponsoring its first-ever art and architecture package tour, which will take place in the Balkans. This tour will last 2 to 2-1/2 weeks, and will visit all the key sites for medieval architecture, frescoes, and liturgical art in Serbia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. Leading the tour will be Andrew Gould,…
Continue reading »An Interview with Benedict Sheehan – Vespers, and its Concert Premiere
Editor’s Note: Benedict Sheehan’s Astonishing Masterwork Vespers will be performed in a premiere concert series this weekend, November 11th, 12th, and 13th, at locations in New York and Pennsylvania. Full concert and ticket information follows this exclusive interview. Brad Given: How do you prepare for creating a work like this? Vespers is obviously a large,…
Continue reading »The Painter’s Manual of Dionysios of Fourna and the Byzantine Church of the Monastery of Saint Gregorios
Over the centuries it had been noticeable that the iconography of Byzantine churches was consistent in content and style. It was most likely that the artists of religious images were following rules on what was to be painted, how images were to be arranged, and how they were to be rendered. In 1839, a painter’s…
Continue reading »Orthodox Arts Festival 2022 Opening on September 17
This year’s ORTHODOX ARTS FESTIVAL 2022 will take place online from September 17th to October 17th of 2022. The Festival is considered to be the World’s biggest Online International Festival of Orthodox Christian Artists. The Festival will be the first to integrate High-Quality 3D technology on its numerous Virtual Reality Galleries (they are the…
Continue reading »With Faith and Love; Thoughts on a Russian-American Choral Masterclass
Spiritual music plays an important role in the cultural life of many countries in the world. It brings people together, unites their hearts, and acts as a crucial unifying link amongst worldwide musical cultures. The mission of the eminent Moscow conductor Vladimir Gorbik is directed specifically towards realizing these benevolent objectives and bringing them to…
Continue reading »Review of “Festal Icons: History and Meaning” by Aidan Hart
In Aidan Hart’s new book, Festal Icons: History and Meaning, we find a major contribution to the current icon revival, one which will be hard to surpass for many years to come. It is an impressive volume, not only in its size and bulk — measuring 11 in. x 9 in., weighing 5.17 lbs.,…
Continue reading »Recent Fresco Iconography in Belgium
The rector, Fr. Dominique Verbeke, and his counsel, asked me to present a proposal on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Orthodox parish of the Holy Apostle Andrew in Ghent, Belgium. I was to decorate the ‘first church’, a big room in a house of the Old Beguinage (17th century)…
Continue reading »An All-Night Vigil for St. Richard of Wessex: An Old Saint is Venerated Anew
Overview: On the evening of 6 February 2022, Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Somerville, Massachusetts celebrated an All-Night Vigil (full festal Vespers, Orthros, and Divine Liturgy served consecutively) for Saint Richard of Wessex (7 February, +722 A.D.). At the altar were three priests: Rev. Fr. Anthony Tandilyan, proistamenos of Dormition Rev.…
Continue reading »Interview with Iconographer Baker Galloway
Editor’s Note: Following upon Aidan Hart’s recent post about applications currently being accepted for the 3-year Icon Painting Programme taught by him, we present an interview with a 2019 graduate of that program, Baker Galloway, conducted by Seraphim O’Keefe on behalf of the OAJ. Introduction Baker Galloway is an American graduate of the 3-year Icon…
Continue reading »Institute of Sacred Arts hosts academic round-table on “Tradition and Innovation in the Arts of the Orthodox Church”
The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVS) is currently privileged to have Dr. George Kordis as its inaugural artist in residence for the Spring of this academic year. On Thursday, March 17, a group of distinguished scholars gathered around him at St. Vladimir’s Seminary for an academic round-table…
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