News + Updates for March 2022
Better Kilns, Bringing Back Hopi Corn, Building Arcologies + More
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How lucky we are, Friend!
With the equinox this weekend (and rainbows like this), The Cosanti Foundation is feeling the energy of springtime all around. At Arcosanti, the cottonwoods along the Agua Fria are about to burst with greenery—a perfect metaphor for the way so many of our programs and projects are really starting to blossom.
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Fans of our world-famous ceramic windbells may have noticed there hasn't been quite as much of a selection over the last year as usual.
While these works of art—made by hand using earth-casting techniques similar to those used in the construction of Cosanti and Arcosanti themselves—have been enjoying ever-increasing popularity, the kilns in which they're fired have been struggling. In 2021, our aging kilns finally gave in, but COVID-disrupted supply chains meant long delays on acquiring new ones. At the same time, at Arcosanti, we decided to switch from an old propane kiln to a new electric kiln, but that also required some rewiring of the Ceramics Apse.
Fortunately, Kim Hurtado, a faculty member with The School of Architecture and a partner in the law firm Hurtado Zimmerman SC, saw an opportunity to make a difference. Last fall, her firm donated the funds to upgrade the electrical system (in the apse as well as in our main office) over the winter, lighting the way for a new kiln at Arcosanti.
Fast-forward a few more months, and the new kilns have finally arrived! This means faster and easier production, as well as the ability to more easily accommodate bell-making workshops. In other words, more bells for everyone! Thank you, Kim; thank you to the team that made the upgrades; and thank you to the ceramic artisans of Cosanti Originals!
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Ceramics artisan Angie has fun mixing old clay with new for some of our plaster-cast ceramic bells |
The old propane kiln at Arcosanti, which stopped working last year |
The Arcosanti Ceramics Team gets ready to load and fire their new electric kiln for the first time |
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Gary Nabhan (left) and Michael Kotutwa Johnson at Arcosanti on March 19 |
Michael spoke about restoration of the American Indian food system |
Gary spoke about sustainably growing food in desert environments. |
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Speaker Series Plants Seeds of Possibility |
Our Spring Speaker Series kicked off this month with fantastic talks from Hopi farmer Michael Kotutwa Johnson and Gary Nabhan of Native Seed/SEARCH. With a theme of "Living with the Land: Food in the Desert," the series reflects the growing synergy between our restarted agricultural program, our renovated café, and our growing educational programs and partnerships as part of a total food system approach to arcology.
What does that all mean?
Two things!
The first is that we're already seeing the seeds of new possibilities being planted, both figuratively and, we hope, literally. For instance, Michael Johnson is returning later this month to talk about reviving a program some of you may remember from years ago: planting Hopi corn at Arcosanti. We're incredibly excited by this opportunity, and we'll keep you posted as the plan develops.
Meanwhile, there are a number of Speaker Series sessions still to come, and you can register to attend through our website. This series is taking place live at Arcosanti, so you need to be here in person to attend. Tickets are free, but seating is limited, so registration is strongly encouraged.
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New Alumni, New Workshops |
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As our revamped long-format workshops create a new generation of arcology-savvy Arcosanti alumni, we're developing more options to make it possible for even more people to participate in The Cosanti Foundation's one-of-a-kind mission, projects, and programs. |
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Our Signature 5- and 6-Week Workshop
The first of our 2022 Arcosanti Workshops wrapped up this month and the second has already begun, meaning we're once again actively graduating alumni from around the world.
Workshop participants enjoy all of the amenities and educational experiences The Cosanti Foundation offers, from architecture and ecology seminars, to bell-making and bronze-casting, to field trips to Cosanti and Dome House, and various hands-on projects. Spring workshoppers also have a chance to participate in The School of Architecture's student-led shelter-building projects.
Thinking about fall instead? You have options! Registration isn't live just yet, but the dates for our fall 5-Week Workshops are settled:
- Sep 7 to Oct 6
- Oct 12 to Nov 9
- Nov 16 to Dec 15
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The 1-Week Arcosanti Experience
Don't have time for a 5- or 6-week workshop? We hear you!
Back by popular demand, The Cosanti Foundation is happy to announce that we will once again begin offering Experience Week, a 1-week version of our signature workshop program.
Our Experience Week curriculum provides many of the highlights of the first week of our regular multi-week workshop—behind-the-scenes tours, hands-on activities, community meals, and epic sunsets—all while you get to spend a week living at Arcosanti as part of the arcology.
Details are still being finalized and registration isn't live just yet, but the dates for our spring Experience Weeks are settled:
- April 29 to May 4
- May 22 to May 27
Attendance is limited to 6 people per session, and these workshops have been extremely popular in the past. If you're interested in participating, save the dates and stay tuned for the opportunity to apply.
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Did You Hear?
More highlights + news from the last month
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Strathclyde Masters the Science of Arcology
Arcosanti is once again home to students from Scotland’s University of Strathclyde Sustainable Engineering program!
The Cosanti Foundation's Strathclyde partnership is an arcology-based degree program that includes a semester abroad at Arcosanti. The program was developed nearly ten years ago by Professor David Grierson, an Arcosanti alumnus and Course Director of the program, in collaboration with Jeff Stein, former President of The Cosanti Foundation and a current Cosanti Foundation Board Member.
In January, after a two-year COVID hiatus, The Cosanti Foundation was able to continue this unique partnership and welcome three students—Ailsa, Elisa, and Ben—to Arcosanti to learn about sustainable design on-site while carrying out their own research-led design projects.
One of those projects? A new imagining, complete with energy analysis, of the design for Arcosanti's much-anticipated West Crescent, pictured above.
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Coming in April:
- Summer Agriculture Workshop
- Renovations at Cosanti
- Indigenous Collaborations
- Public Events Updates
- Arizona Gives Day
+ more!
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About The Cosanti Foundation |
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Since 1965, The Cosanti Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has advocated for the built environment to be created in harmony with nature through the concept of arcology (architecture + ecology), and through our Arizona demonstration projects, Cosanti and Arcosanti.
Join us in our mission to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.
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Images courtesy Patrick Doyle, Kate Bemesderfer, Pinto LeBrun, Anna Katkar, Seth Winslow, and The Cosanti Foundation |
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