Report from alumnus and member of Cosanti Foundation Board of Directors, Jeff Stein:

Cosanti Foundation staff member Roger Tomalty and alumnus Jim Labioda put together a fine exhibit “PAOLO SOLERI - Green Aesthetics/Green Ethics” at the Bannister Gallery (named after one of the first African-American painters in the US) at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI. And it was hung, in place, lights on, a full 5 minutes before people began pouring in for the opening, at 5PM on October 5. 2006!
It's a terrific show, consisting of several models - bridges and arcologies - some really wonderful old Silt-Pile workshop posters, and a series of photos of Soleri-designed buildings, some showing silt-cast construction, newly digitized, scanned, printed large-scale, and mounted on foam-core. Makes for a very crisp and engaging presentation.
Roger did one of his famous silt workshops with RIC students; they cast part of a bridge model, of which they were rightfully quite proud.

James Montford, director of the Bannister Gallery, a great guy who worked with Roger to make this happen.

And, earlier this week, last night's scheduled keynote speaker, Dr. Ted Landsmark, President of the Boston Architectural College (the BAC changed its name from "Center" to "College" this fall) was called away for a little emergency, so I stood-in for the opening talk. That was great, too, I have to tell you...
The Bannister has events planned in the gallery to support Soleri's ideas throughout the month of October: film showings, lectures, poetry readings; next week I come down again for a panel discussion on Soleri's work with the Dean of Rhode Island College, the Head of RISD's Architecture Department, and an environmental design Professor from Brown. And their students.
In the image a couple students focus ceiling lights in the gallery. Later, chairs covered the entire floor for the 70 or so folks who packed-in for the opening talk.

Of course all this just paves the way for the Paolo Soleri lecture on October 24.

The exhibition will be open until October 27. 2006