This continues the 5/29/07 report of this years Spoken Word and Poetry Slam.
[from upper left] Co-hosts poets Dan Seaman and Logan Phillips kept the pace going through two full rounds of 36 poets, plus finals, with efficiency, grace and humor. Their masterful presence kept the day lighthearted in between many intense and emotional spoken word performances.
A team of three scorekeepers kept track of the five audience judges' scores, with team Mill's End emerging as champions at the end of this very close competition.
Calibration Poet Lauren Perry was one of the warm-up poets. Jonathan Standifird is part of the Zoe's Kitchen team, poet Kat is from team Paperheart and Mandy Rose from team Mesa.

[from upper left] poet Gab from team Mills End in Tempe, poet JiHye Son from team Arcosanti, poet Teresa Driver from team Tucson and poet Merlyn from Mills End. Poet Murray Natkie is with the Arcosanti team and Andre "Funk" Gavino competed for team Tucson.

[from upper left] After the competition in the Colly Soleri Amphitheater, audience and poets proceeded to the Foundry, for the traditional dramatic night pour.
The crowd is waiting for the pour under the shade wings of the Foundry.
After the pour the winning team Mills End gave a final performance and dedication.
The full packed schedule continued in the Vaults with an beautiful performance by FLAM CHEN, a pyrotechnic theater troupe based in Tucson, Arizona. Flam Chen has visited and performed at Arcosanti many times and it is a real pleasure to welcome them back.
Other performances during the week-end were by THE FAMILY, a group of musicians from Flagstaff, Arcosanti's own dynamic Dan Kelliher and GALAPAGOS / Team Albuquerque.
This years event was again an occasion of amazing intensity. The poetry ranged from the political to the personal, with plenty of detours into the comic and ridiculous. The sheer scale and range of the work presented was a delight and a privilege to witness for the entire audience - visitors and Arcosanti residents alike.

The 7th annual Spoken Word and Poetry Slam took place at Arcosanti this past Memorial week-end and Arcosanti welcomed nine teams from around the state for this years competition.
[from upper left] Many tents with participants and guest rose in the Minds Garden.
Grand Master Dan Seaman.
Three rounds of intense competion took place in the Colly Soleri Amphitheater.

[from upper left] Paolo Soleri and Cosanti Foundation Director Mary Hoadley.
Kevin Patterson from the Phoenix team Paperheart, Brent Heffron from team Mesa, Apollo from team Mills End in Tempe, Brendy Star from the Phoenix team Visualize, and Greg Nix from team Sedona.

[from upper left] Jenn Epstein from team Arcosanti.
Each performance was greeted with great enthusiasm from team mates and audience.
Kelsey Miller from the Phoenix team Zoe's Kitchen, Tucker Zenski from team Arcosanti, Arcosanti resident Jewel Blackfeather-Welter competed with team Visualize, Aaron Johnson from team Noraz, Northern Arizona Poets, and Miss Marche from team Zoe's Kitchen.
This report continues 5/30/07.

Master Artist Yo Takimoto visited Arcosanti to teach his Japanese Wood Carving class for the second time.
Master Takimoto offers classes in Japan and on the west-coast of the United States. He brings pieces of American wood for his classes in Japan and when he teaches in the United States, students have a choice to carve with Japanese wood.
[from upper left] Everyone picked out a piece of wood for their carving. Master Takimoto chooses the right kind of knife for each student, depending on the hard- or softness of their choice of wood.
Students view some of the masters carvings.
Director Tomiaki Tamura formally introduces Master Tokimoto.

Students use japanese hand carving knifes called "Kiridashi". The carving process is best described in Yo Takimoto's brochure:
"When carving wood, I am often reminded of the mother nature that tends to be forgotten in the urban environment. I can be in tune with nature while spending hours and hours in the end with the wood, and paying attention to what the wood itself is doing. I call this "kikezuri" which is an act of whittling rather than just carving.
Many woods that I bring to the workshops are from Japan, and from US where I have traveled and collected along the way. Each has different history, touch, scent, and character. At my woodcarving class, I encourage everyone to pick the material as you see it, and to find the character of the wood as you carve it."
To add to this, Master Takimoto encouraged his students to carve instinctively, not to think too much about it, to just let the carving emerge.

At the end of the class, all participants sat in a circle and passed around their carvings. Each person talked about the experience with their piece of wood and what the end result represented to them.
We thank Master Yo Takimoto for his gracious tutelage and a fine experience.

Golf at Arcosanti? Oh yes!
The amazing 'Dinky Links' tournament is the brainchild of alumnus Richard Johnson and originated in Jerome, Arizona.
Dr. Sparks, aka Michael Bittman organized last week-ends tournament with a course planned throughout the Arcosanti site.
This environmentally friendly golf course requires zero maintenance and zero water.
[from upper left] Participants meet at the old water tank in the Minds Garden.
Dr. Sparks explains the rules of this local game, like if your ball lands in a cactus or behind a rock, you can move the ball one club-length away for your next shot.
At one of the holes in the Minds Garden all participants tee off at the same time. Whoever hits the old cement mixer first gets a shot subtracted from their score.

Sparks makes the point that anyone can hit a ball on a lawn.
[from upper left] This much more difficult course consists of 16 holes, 9 holes in the very difficult terrain of the Minds Garden, and 7 holes in various locations between the Arcosanti buildings. One of the most challenging shots is bouncing the ball down into the Colly Soleri Amphitheater. Another shot is from the south-end of the Music Center into the lower level of the silt workshop area. Those balls will be picked up at a later time in the course.
The group moves up the path from in front of the Music Center to their next shot in the Vaults.

[from upper left] This shot is from the middle of the Vaults into the little Teilhard memorial planter right on the edge of the mesa, part of the Colly Soleri Garden in front of the Vaults. A very challenging shot, if the ball is tapped too hard it will go right over the edge of the mesa.
The next hole is from the path in front of West Housing to a the small lawn in front of the Ceramics Apse. One of the holes is located below the Crafts III building, and another along the path below the Foundry. The image is small but you can see the group below the Foundry Apse on their way to the silt area.
The so-called 19th. hole [in this case the 17th. hole], is 'The Beach' at the pool cube where Sparks announces the winners. Among the awards were trophies for first, second and highest score.
The trophies are in the best of Arcosanti recreational tradition. The most coveted award is the mediocrity award, for the person that finishes right in the middle.

Group synergy is scheduled for 2 days during the second week of each 2007 workshop.
This workshops project is an intensive planting effort in the Arcosanti gardens. Beds have been prepared and many seedlings were started in the greenhouse [see report from 4/4/07]. The crew familiarizes workshop participants with planting techniques and the synergy program.

The group planted 90 tomato plants, 50 eggplants, lots of peppers and marigolds.
The group also planted seeds for zucchini, pumpkins, green beans, corn, cucumber, watermelon and okra.
The planted beds are protected by straw.

[from upper left] One of the efforts was to rabbit-proof the entire length of the fence around the Pawlonia garden. The group dug a trench along the fence and lined it with chicken wire. Little pepper plants, raised in the greenhouse, have taken well to their new location. Just a few days later one of the zucchini plants sprouts from its seed.
The only duck enjoys a little duck pond in the herb garden.

This continues the report from 5/16/07 about the installation of a set of solar panels for path lighting.
An inpendant lighting contractor from NIGHTSCAPING, a landscaping lighting design company, met with Director Tomiaki Tamura, utilities manager Scott Riley and site electrician Dr. Sparks, to discuss a new system of path lighting. After selection, the new lighting fixtures were bought from a Phoenix distributor, SPRINKLER WORLD OF ARIZONA.
This new set of lights will be powered by a bank of 160 Watt solar panels that were donated by PTL [Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory], which is a part of Arizona State University.
We will report more on path lighting at installation of fixtures.

The solar panel installation crew:
[from upper left] Volunteer Chihiro Saito, workshop participant Sylva Tentori, metalshop coordinator Philip Bonham, workshop participants Livio Stabile and Fernando Lomasto, construction volunteer Darina Trendafilova and site electrician Dr. Sparks.
[in front] Construction volunteer JiHye Son, workshop participants Rebecca Manning and Jose Masaoy.
The panels were graciously donated by PTL [Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory], which is a part of Arizona State University. We extend a hearty Thank You to Program Manager William Shisler for this generous donation.

This continues the report from 5/14/07 about the installation of a new set of solar panels.
A complicated collection of connectors is pre-assembled by workshop participants JiHye Son, Rebecca Manning and Jose Masaoy.
The panels are unpacked and moved into location.
Rebecca reaches through the greenhouse windows to help.

Workshop participant Sylva Tentori assembles some of the connectors.
Construction crew leader David Tollas and workshop participant Fernando Lomasto lift the panels up to site electrician Dr. Sparks.
Rebecca is on the inside of the greenhouse to help mount the back of the panels.

Rebecca installs the individual wiring and wire connection between the panels.
All the panels are in place.

Eight panels with 160 Watt capacity were donated by PTL [Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory], which is a part of Arizona State University.
This report continues on 5/18/07.

This continues the report from 5/9/07 about installation of a set of solar panels.
Eight panels, each with 160 Watt capacity, were donated by PTL [Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory], which is a part of Arizona State University.
Installation of utilities is in progress in a maintenance room below the S.O.D. Unit.
The new utility board is mounted with the new DR Series Power Inverter/Charger and other utility instrumentation. This will bring together the wiring from the solar panels to distribute collected energy from the panels to path lighting fixtures, and monitor collection and distribution.

[from upper left] Workshop participant Rebecca Manning and Dr. Sparks install the electric conduit that will protect the wiring leading from the solar panels to the utility maintenance room.

[from upper left] Brackets for the solar panels have been installed and painted and the crew now lifts and mounts the individual panels into place.

The panels were graciously donated by PTL [Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory], which is a part of Arizona State University. We extend a hearty Thank You to Program Manager William Shisler for this generous donation.
This report continues on 5/16/07.

Welcome to the May 6. 2007 workshop participants:
[from left]
Hannah State, Michael Grifka, Becky French, Chad Cole, Youmi Jeon [two weeks], Torsten Moller [two weeks], Courtney Greer [planning intern], Christopher Rowe, Davide Vadalà [Arcosanti scholarship program], Hankook Lim [two weeks] and Xylia Buros [agriculture intern].

[from upper left] Note the scaffolding erected in front of the small greenhouse at the south-east corner of the S.O.D. Unit, the Soleri Office and Drafting complex.
The lowest part of the greenhouse window frame has been selected for the installation of a set of solar panels.
The panels were graciously donated by PTL [Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory], which is a part of Arizona State University. We extend a hearty THANK YOU to Program Manager William Shisler for this generous donation.
Metal shop staff Philip Bonham looks over the metal frame to size up what needs to be done in preparation for installation of brackets.
Workshop participant Rebecca Manning sands away paint to ensure solid welding joints. Workshop participant Sylva Tentori sands the edges of one of the brackets that will hold the solar panels in place.

Philip welds a bracket to the greenhouse frame. The bracket shape continues the exact slope of the greenhouse window. This is an area with a lot of very strong wind, so Philip makes sure that the weld joints are super strong.
Four triangular brackets have been installed, on which now three cross beams are fastened.
Sylva sands the frame to eliminate any rust before it is repainted.
Construction crew Darina Trendafilova repaints the metal.
One of the maintenance rooms below the S.O.D. Unit is prepared for utility installation. Here the wiring will be brought together, the collected energy will be stored and distributed to path lighting fixtures, and collection and distribution will be monitored.
This report will continue on 5/14/07.

The annual VIVALDI Festival at Arcosanti was presented by Art Renaissance Initiative and the Colly Soleri Music Center on Saturday, May 5. 2007.
The performance was a beautifully executed musical comedy, based on a love story that took place in 1735, spiced up with adventure, live music and even sword fights.
This years production “Carnival in Venice" was directed and choreographed by Hans Kliphuis.

Performers were:
Helen Bergeon, soprano as Bianca
Hans Kliphuis, dancer as Giuseppe
Courtney Vanaman, dancer as Delisa
Scott Bennet, baritone as Bianca’s Father

Corps Dancers:
Omar Alvarado, Breekyn Drescher, Brianna Panepinto, Yavor Genev, Joseph Gonzals, Jessica Johnson, David Rodriguez and Katie Staszkow.
The Turks:
Chris Bowls, Chris Hunter-Pratt and John Meyer.
Music by:
Celinda Anne Levno, flute, Pascale Monot, cello, Peggy Rostron, piano, Scott Tran, Violin.

The performance was followed by an new version of PICTOGRAPH 2000, a shadow play and dance projected onto the south mesa across from Arcosanti.
The evening's menu at the Arcosanti cafe featured Artichoke Heart Soup with fresh Basil, Baby Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Chicken Breast with Rosemary and white Wine, green Beans with sun dried Tomatos, Spelt with white Beans and roasted Eggplant and Raspberry Tarts for dessert.

Director Tomiaki Tamura designed and initiated the re-organization of the second floor office space in the S.O.D. Unit [Soleri Office and Drafting Unit].
[from upper left] The middle of the office is designated to the receptionist and phone switch board, plus a desk for the purchasing agent and the copy machine.
This is always an area where a lot of things accumulate and a thorough clean-up and re-organization makes a wonderful difference. Long-time receptionist Shirlee Wheeler is happy with this new arrangement.

[from upper left] The north section of the office is occupied by the Graphics Department and a small meeting area.
Reference materials were re-sorted and a bookshelf installed against the entire length of the north wall.
The meeting space was enlarged and graphics department moved from the middle of the area right next to planning department.
A system of new low voltage cable lighting was installed. The result is a crisply clean and comfortably efficient working environment.

The office on the second floor of the S.O.D. Unit [Soleri Office and Drafting Unit] is in the process of much needed re-organization.
[from upper left] Construction volunteers Darina Trendafilova and workshop participant JiHye Son take apart existing shelving in the south-bay of the planning area.
JiHye patches and paints the walls.
A new shelving system is put together.
The new set-up is complete, very clean and organized, and a set of Paolo Soleri silk-screened bridge drawings now grace the wall.

[from upper left] The next step is clean-up and re-organization of the Planning area
Construction staff Melissa Soluski builds a set of individual work stations.
Flat drawer cabinets are moved and re-aligned.
Accumulated reference material is re-organized into new shelving.
The new arrangement is crisp and practical.
More on this on 5/4/07.