The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is producing a new book entitled Lord, It Is Good to Be Here! Orthodox Liturgical Art in North America, to be published by St Vladimir’s Seminary Press.

This major book project will highlight the finest exemplars of Orthodox Christian liturgical art and architecture from across the North American continent. It will feature high-quality images supported by essays that provide historical, theological, and other context.

With this announcement, the book’s co-editors—Dr Peter Bouteneff, founding director of the Institute of Sacred Arts and Professor of Systematic Theology at SVOTS, and Andrew Gould, liturgical designer and founder and owner of the Orthodox Arts Journal and of the design firm New World Byzantine—are making a continent-wide call for submissions. 

Orthodox Christians of all jurisdictions are invited to send in examples of uniquely North American liturgical art and architecture for possible publication. Historic and contemporary churches, icons, liturgical furnishings, vessels, textiles, manuscripts, and other artistic media will all be considered. 

Iconographers, furniture makers, embroiderers, and other liturgical artists interested in creating an artwork especially for the book are also invited to contact the project team.

Dr Peter Bouteneff elaborated on the rationale behind this project, saying:

While the core of the Church’s theology is unchanging, the languages, idioms, and images through which it is expressed have always adapted to new places and times. This book will celebrate some of the best examples of the Old World-New World encounter: art that testifies to the ongoing relationship between timeless Gospel and historical culture, and that through its beauty and its content inspires and expresses the right praise of God.

The book is to be published by SVS Press under its new Sacred Arts imprint, which the Press is inaugurating in collaboration with the seminary’s Institute of Sacred Arts. 

To send in a submission, fill out the form here. Submissions will be accepted through December 1, 2023. To read more about this project, visit instituteofsacredarts.com/olana.