News + Updates for August 2022
Hopi Corn, Fall Workshop Season, Best of Phoenix, + More
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Summer's winding down, Friend.
The triple-digit heat of June and July has finally cooled with the arrival of regular monsoons, although keeping up with the rain is sometimes a bit of a challenge with architecture as unique as ours! Still, it's a welcome change, and a natural reflection of the abundance of opportunities at Cosanti, Arcosanti, and beyond.
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It's hard to believe that just two months ago, this was nothing but a patch of long-neglected dirt.
At the end of June, as part of our Alumni Reunion, we worked with Hopi farmer Michael Kotutwa Johnson to plant native Hopi corn in the hopes of seeing an active monsoon season to nurture it along. It was a gamble, especially since climate change has meant years when the rains never come. Such a late planting on land that hadn't been used to grow anything in over a decade could easily have failed. Fortunately for the urban laboratory (another name for Arcosanti), the storms have been steady, and the experiment so far has been a success. The corn, beans, and squash are showing all the signs of a promising harvest later this year.
Special thanks Dr. Johnson, Casey Jones, Herald Harrington, and our dozens of donors and volunteers. Your assistance and generosity made this garden grow!
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The Hopi corn kernels have sprouted into full-blown plants, with tassels showing and squash blossoming in the space between the rows. |
The one-acre garden is just the start of Arcosanti's efforts to begin utilizing our biggest field again after more than a decade of disuse. |
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Workshoppers enjoy all the beauty of life at Arcosanti |
Agriculture consultant Casey Jones will lead a series of 1-day farm & garden workshops |
Workshops are coordinated by Associate Director of Programming Pinto LeBrun |
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With summer on its way out, it's almost time to go back to school. This week, we'll be welcoming the return of graduate students from The School of Architecture to Arcosanti for the third year in a row.
At The Cosanti Foundation, though, what September really means is the start of a new season of our own hands-on educational workshops, from the signature multi-week workshop that built Cosanti and Arcosanti (and boasts more than 8000 alumni) to single-day offerings that give folks a chance to experience specific facets of arcology up-close.
This fall, there are four different kinds of workshops for you to choose from:
- Signature multi-week workshop
- Signature multi-week workshop with an agricultural focus
- Single-day farm & garden workshop series
- One-day bell-making workshops
In other words, there's something for everyone. The bell-making workshops are featured below, but for everything else, head on over to our website for further information and registration/application links. Know someone who might be interested in participating? Feel free to share!
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Arcosanti and Cosanti aren't the only places to visit if you want to spend more time with The Cosanti Foundation. Here are a couple other ways to come see us in the Phoenix area. (And if you really want to get involved, we are hiring).
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Last Chance:
Dome House Exhibition
This is the final week to catch "Dome House: The Architecture of Possibility," our current exhibition at the Burton Barr Central Library. We'll be taking it down on August 29 so that it can move on to other libraries, first in Phoenix and then across the state. We're also gearing up to open a new exhibition at Burton Barr during the holidays—more about that in the months to come.
In the meantime, catch the Dome House exhibition while you still can! It's outside the library's Arizona Room, where you can also view several vintage Cosanti Originals special bronze assemblies.
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Save the Date:
Canal Convergence
Come celebrate 10 years of water + art + light at the 2022 Canal Convergence, November 4 through 13 in Scottsdale. We'll have a booth full of our famous Cosanti Originals windbells.
On November 6 and November 13, we'll also have bell-making demonstrations and even some opportunities for you to try your hand at the unique art of siltcasting. Details will be available later this fall here and in the Cosanti Originals newsletter.
We've been part of this event since year one, so we're delighted to be returning, and we hope to see you there!
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Carve Bells with Us
Back by popular demand! This fall, we're offering three 1-day ceramic bell-making opportunities at Arcosanti. Click the link for complete details. These workshops often sell out early, so register now to secure your spot.
P.S. Bring a friend! These workshops also make a great gift.
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AZHS Grant Received
Earlier this year, The Cosanti Foundation received Certified Historical Institution status from the Arizona Historical Society (AZHS). This month, we also received an AZHS grant to create an interactive digital exhibition as part of our Cosanti Welcome Center once the renovations at Pink House are complete in 2023. Thank you, AZHS!
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Help Cosanti Win "Best Boutique"
The only thing more unique than our hand-carved bronze and ceramic windbells is the iconic architecture of the places where they're made and displayed: Cosanti and Arcosanti. We think that might have a little something to do with why the Phoenix New Times is recognizing Cosanti Originals as one of four finalists in the "Best Boutique" category of its annual "Best of Phoenix" competition.
We don't usually get too competitive, but we'd sure love to win this one—and you can help!
Visit the Best of Phoenix website, select "Shopping and Services," and then select "Best Boutique." Click on "Cosanti Originals" and hit submit. That's it!
You can vote once a day, every day, between now and 11:59 pm on September 11th. Winners are announced on September 29th.
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Coming in September
- Land Stewardship + Wildlife Monitoring
- Arcosanti Gets a Supercomputer
- Autumn Architectural Speaker Series
- Annual Impact Report Preview
+ 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 Kate Bemesderfer, Juliana Cardozo, Jessica Jameson, Pinto LeBrun, Desiree Ortega, Ana Catalina Vasquez, Chris Loomis/Experience Scottsdale, and The Cosanti Foundation
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