Welcome to May 22. Workshop participants: [top row from left] Young Soo Kim, Kathryn Green, Eric Meyer, Robert Scully, Matthew Richardson, Jonathan Mort, Jayamoorthi Murugesan, Shaine Griggs, David White, Cory Macfadden, Nicolas Hammond and Jason Anderson. [front row from left] Mark Pierce, Darina Trendafilova, Francesca Gulizia, Thanajayan, Enrica Ceneda, Ahdom Sayre, Lee Soo Young [front], Meredith Colgin, Matthew Graves, Austin Baker, Juli Burden and Matt Reitman.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

Rosemary and Larry Abbel came for the seminar week.
[Photo & text: sa]

The 5th Annual Arizona Spoken Work Festival and Slab City Slam will commence at the Colly Soleri Music Center on Memorial Weekend. The schedule begins with an introduction dinner at 6:00 PM on Friday, May 27. 7:30 PM features Cinepoems with the FunKtional Adix, 8:30 PM a Theatrical Performance by poet and Arcosanti alumnus Justin Dehnert and at 8:45 PM a Rant from Grand Master Dan Seaman. Friday night's busy schedule continues with The Values Americans Live by: a piece of Theater by the Laboratory for Enthusiastic Collaboration. Paul Sprawl returns to Arcosanti with folk-americana guitar stylings and singing at 9:45 PM. Evening entertainment finishes with a Pictograph light-show on the Mesa by Tomiaki Tamura.
[Photo: Ray Lam & text: sa]

Competing teams are expected from Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, Flagstaff, Sedona, Bullhead City and Arcosanti. Saturday, May 28 starts with morning yoga at 8:30 AM lead by Angus Gluck. Welcome is scheduled for 9:30 AM and Round 1 of the Slam competition will begin at 10:00 AM. The morning closes with a poetry feature by the Arco Originals with music by Pat Beary. Lunch is scheduled from 1:00-2:00 PM. There will be an open mike during the lunch hour. The afternoon schedule starts at 2:00 PM with a comedy improv feature by the World's Greatest Shakespeare Company with music by David Whitely. Round 2 of the Slam starts at 2:30 PM. At 5:00 PM Luke Warm Water will present a poetry feature. Dinner and open mike will be from 5:30-7:00 PM. Paul Sprawl provides music from 7:00-7:30 PM. Round 3 of the Slab City Slam is scheduled from 7:30-9:00 PM, followed by a fire performance by Flam Chen. The evening closes with a bronze pour in the Arcosanti Foundry.
[Photo: Ray Lam & text: sa]

Maintenance crew is always busy with either upkeep or improvement of facilities. The bathrooms in the Colly Soleri Music Center need to be remodeled. The rooms are completely stripped of wall panels, pipes and tiles. Studs for a new set of walls are put into place. Mark Baris heads this project.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

A new set of plumbing pipes is installed. This is a great project for Workshop participants, as they are part of every step of the process.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

With Marks instruction, Segolene Gautier and Kim Chikyung learn the installation of studs, drywall panels.....
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

..... and electric lines. This report will continue 6/6.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

Participants of the April 17. 2005 workshop graduate. Congratulations to Christopher Brown. Christopher continues at Arcosanti as a planning intern.
[Photo & Text: sa]

Graduate Andrew Woodard continues as a construction volunteer.
[Photo & Text: sa]

Graduate Joanna Wice continues with a agriculture internship. Nicola Maggiaioli also graduates. Nicola continues as a construction volunteer.

At the end of each workshop, participants and staff get together for a workshop evaluation.
[Photo & Text: sa]

We reported the pour of a concrete wall behind Unit 6 and Unit 7 of the East Crescent complex on 5/02/05. The concrete has set and construction crew members and workshop participants remove the formwork.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & Text: sa]

Construction volunteer Mika Kawai heads this project. The next step is to plant a bed of aloe next to the wall and to install and level a path of pavers between the two bridges.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & Text: sa]

Construction crew and workshop participants help with the concrete pour of new benches in front of the Ceramics Apse. Concrete is mixed behind the apse....
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & Text: sa]

.... and moved in wheel barrows down the grassy slope
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & Text: sa]

A group effort of many hands makes short work of this project.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & Text: sa]

The top of the benches will be scrubbed with a hardy brush before the concrete sets, to bring the rough grain of gravel to the surface. The next part of this project will be to raise the level under and directly in front of the benches to the level of the concrete walkways around it.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & Text: sa]

Landscape Department manager Ron Chandler, with the help of workshop participant Nicola Maggiaioli and construction volunteer Mika Kawai, prepares to build a set of three benches in front of the Ceramics Apse.
[Photo & Text: sa]

The benches will continue the pattern of circular seating in front of the apse. Ron sands the form bottom for each bench.
[Photo & Text: sa

Rebar is prepared and tied into place and the form sides are notched on the exterior wall to achieve the correct curve.
[Photo & Text: sa]

This location is a stopping point for each tour of visitors. The extra benches will provide additional seating. Images of the concrete pour of these benches will be posted on Monday 5/16.
[Photo & Text: sa

The Arizona Vivaldi Festival surfs on the wave of Vivaldi music's astonishing revival. Strengthened by the worldwide, overwhelming public interest for the inventiveness, freshness and elegance of Baroque music, the 2005 edition of the Festival explores the connections between the music of Vivaldi and that of his illustrious contemporaries, J.S. Bach and Handel.
[Photo & text: Yuki Y]

[left photo] Chef Erika prepares another delicious dinner for about 100 people. [right photo] Workshop participant Julia Adzuki is one of many helpers for the dinner. The Menu for this event: Roasted Chicken Breast with Pecan and Walnut Butter Sauce, stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Blue Cheese and Leeks, Rosemary Risotto Tart, Yams with Sun-dried Tomatos and Capers, a Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Soup, Green Salad with Carrots, Red Onions, Oranges, Raisins, Croutons and Italian Dressing, and for Dessert a wonderful Pave de Chocolate. This consisted of layers of Strawberries with Rum, Yellow Cake, Vanilla Creme, Chocolate Creme, Whipped Eggwhites and was topped with Shredded Dark Chocolate.
[Photo & text: Yuki Y]

Arcosanti staff and volunteers help to prepare the cafe dining room and clean and set up the Colly Soleri Amphitheater.
[Photo & text: Yuki Y]

After a day of preparation staff and workshop participants enjoy the dinner time.
[Photo & text: Yuki Y]

Every Friday morning the workshop participants from different departments get together for a group project, a synergy. This week the April workshop participants help to plant grape vines. Agriculture department manager Scott Dolan instructs how to plant.
[Photo & text: Yuki Y]

For each vine cutting a hole has to be dug about ten inches deep. Christopher Brown and Andrew Woodard [left photo]
[Photo & text: Yuki Y]

A planted grape vine. [left photo] Workshop participant Nicola Maggiaioli waters the grape vines. [right photo]
[Photo & text: Yuki Y]

Earth Day was Friday, April 22nd and the Society of Environmental Communicators at NAU, Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, celebrated with the traditional annual Earth Fest. Arcosanti resident Matteo Di Michele and alum Erin Jeffries represented Arcosanti.
[Photo & text: Matteo Di Michele]

This year's theme was Respect Your Mama. Several events were planned throughout the campus to show student and community members what they can do for the environment.
[Photo & text: Matteo Di Michele]

Over thirty groups and organizations participated in the event. Matteo and Erin provided a lot of information about educational programs at Arcosanti.
[Photo & text: Matteo Di Michele]

Construction crew members and workshop participants pour a concrete wall behind Unit 6 and Unit 7 of the East Crescent complex.
[Photo & text: sa]

[Photos: sa]

The wall will border a sidewalk between the two bridges behind the East Crescent.
[Photo & text: sa]

Construction crew Jacob Schwartz and volunteer Mika Kawai vibrate the wet concrete for even distribution. Workshop participant Matthew Bittleston prepares a new steel paver form for left-over concrete.
[Photos & text: sa]