MISSION
The institute of sacred arts at St. Vladimir’s Seminary explores the intersection of human creativity and holiness.
VISION
With a theology that is holistic, and a liturgy that unites multiple artistic disciplines and all the human senses, the Orthodox Christian tradition is a fitting context for the exploration and celebration of the sacred arts.
Since its founding in 1938, St Vladimir’s Seminary has fostered the immersive study of the Liturgy, and of the visual, musical, and rhetorical arts. The Institute of Sacred Arts serves to extend the seminary’s mission in exploring the mutual relationship between theology and the arts by
Contributing to the work of people and institutions that practice and reflect on the sacred arts;
Engaging people and institutions of all backgrounds with Orthodox Christian artistic tradition;
Inspiring wider public interest in spirituality and the arts.
The Institute will find expression in
A curriculum infused with the arts;
Academic symposia and conferences;
Publications and cultural events.
Staff
Dr. Peter Bouteneff, Director
Dr. Alexander Lingas, Associate Director
Dr. Rossitza Schroeder, Associate Director
LEADING Sponsors
Drs. Frank and Alcides Kulik are the Institute’s founding donors, with their generous gift in 2013. The Kuliks dedicated much of their lives to the study and beautification of the Orthodox Church, and to collecting and preserving sacred objects. Their interest and love of the sacred arts culminated in a vision for an Institute of Sacred Arts at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
The Henry Luce Foundation has awarded the seminary two consecutive grants totaling $500,000.
The first grant (2016-2019) funded the Sacred Arts Initiative — a series of symposia and conferences which assisted us in establishing the parameters of our work, to help us build relationships with people and institutions, and assess the viability of an ongoing entity to study within this field.
The second grant (2019-2022) funded further academic and public events, as well as an internal assessment of the seminary’s curriculum, which will integrate the sacred arts into all core courses, and the inauguration of the Institute of Sacred Arts.
The Leonid Ouspensky & Vladimir Lossky Endowment funds the academic and practical teaching of the Orthodox Church's iconology, iconography, architecture, mosaics, carving, glasswork, needlework, and in other disciplines of the sacred visual arts. This generous endowment is named for the great Russian iconographer and iconologist, Leonid Ouspensky (1902–1987), and the theologian Vladimir Lossky (1903–1958).
The Prokofiev Endowment provides support for the training of choirmasters and activities in the teaching and publishing of liturgical music.