Saint Job of Pochaev on loan from the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos Monastery

Just in time for the beginning of Orthodox Lent, UNC Asheville will host "The Legacy of Byzantium: Exploring the Divine Images of the Orthodox Faith" from March 15-21. The exhibition, which features ornate religious icons dating back to the 17th century, is on loan from Pennsylvania and North Carolina churches and monasteries. An opening reception will be held from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, March 15. The opening reception will include an abridged Day of Orthodoxy service with vespers and icon procession conducted by the monks of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos Monastery in Weaverville. The free exhibition and reception will be held in UNC Asheville's Highsmith University Union room 114.

Icons featured in the exhibit are on loan from St. Tikhon of Zadonsk Monastery in South Canaan, Pa.; Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos Monastery in Weaverville; Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Asheville; St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Fletcher; and private collections.

Informative descriptions to accompany the icons were prepared by UNC Asheville students enrolled in the "History of Byzantium" class. In conjunction with the exhibit, students in UNC Asheville's "Public History" course interviewed members of Asheville's Greek and Russian Orthodox communities to record their thoughts and memories about their faith traditions. Excerpts from these interviews, along with family photographs, icons and memorabilia, are also part of the exhibit.

"It is our hope that you will leave the exhibit with an enhanced appreciation for the legacy of the Byzantine Empire, the people of the Orthodox faith and the spiritual role that icons play in the lives of believers," said Samer Traboulsi, UNC Asheville history professor and coordinator for the exhibit.

In conjunction with the exhibition, a series of free lectures have been planned. These include:

-- Kostis Kourelis, assistant professor of art history at Clemson University, will discuss "Discovering Byzantium: American Archaeology in Greece 1920-1940" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 13, in UNC Asheville's Whitman Room, Ramsey Library. The talk will explore the intersection between Byzantine archeology in the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the Greek generations of the 1930s. In addition to teaching, Kourelis conducts excavations in Greece, Italy and Ukraine, and directs the Clemson-Clarentia Archaeological Project. His talk is co-sponsored by the Western North Carolina Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America.

-- The students who gathered local oral histories for the exhibit will discuss their research at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, in UNC Asheville's Highsmith University Union, room 114. Participating students are Adam Bittmann, Rachael Cole, Jeremy Compton, Haley Creasman, Calan Halford, Stepanie Leiderman, Daniel Osborne and Libby Stone.

-- UNC Asheville History Professor Grant Hardy will give a talk on "Beyond Orthodox Iconography: Images of the Divine in the Latter-Day Saint Tradition" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at UNC Asheville's Highsmith University Union, room 114. In this lecture, an examination of the aesthetic principles in the iconography the Latter-Day Saints or Mormons will provide a look at the forms and uses of sacred images in the broader Christian world. Hardy is a noted historian of Imperial China and also served as editor of the 2003 volume "The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition."

-- Harry Michael Boosalis will examine "The Spiritual and Theological Significance of Icons in the Orthodox Faith" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at UNC Asheville's Highsmith University Union, room 114. This talk will explore the history and theology of icons within Eastern Orthodoxy. Boosalis is an associate professor of dogmatic theology and is chair of the Department of Theology and Spirituality at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary in Pennsylvania.

The exhibit is hosted by UNC Asheville's History Department, New Horizon Fund, National Endowment for the Humanities Distinguished Professor Fund, Religious Studies Program and Humanities Program.

"The Legacy of Byzantium: Exploring the Divine Images of the Orthodox Faith" will be on view 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 15-21. To arrange for a guided tour by a UNC Asheville student, email byzantium@unca.edu. For more information, call 828/251-6298.