Some of the Arcosanti staff, workshop participants and volunteers.
Photo taken on 7/26/07.

The July 2. 2007 workshop participants completed their four week program and graduated.
Congratulations to:
[front from left]
Liu Chong, Tin Tin Jian Yuting [one of the best archive helpers!], Huang Lin and Daiva Trudeau.
[middle from left]
Annijke Wade, Joel Masters, Amy Lynch, Li Ji, John Loughead, and Davide Vadala. Ji Seong Yeong joined the group late and will stay on to complete her workshop.
[back from left]
Molly Gray and Oliver Wallace. Youn Joong Shuk also joined the group late and will stay on to complete his workshop.

The metalshop team recently worked on a new project for the Crafts III building.
One of the large doors to the east balcony will be fitted with a screened insert.
Volunteer crew member Darina Trendafilova welds together some very long pieces of steel for one of the three frames.

Corners of the steel frames are plugged and then sanded smooth.

Metalshop coordinator Philip Bonham sands the frames before application of a rust proof primer.
This report continues on 8/1/07.

This continues 7/20/07 report of carpentry work in the classroom of Unit 8 of the East Crescent complex.
Workshop participant Tom Cobb and alumnus Patrick Doyle custom cut and fit the frame of this Utility wall closet. The front of the closet will have movable doors.

One of the doors has been assembled and now will be mounted to an angle iron hinge.

Patrick cut and welded a angle iron frame for four door panels and installed it into the prepared wooden frame.
Steel pins at top and bottom of each door hinge will be slotted into positioned holes in this angle iron frame.
This report will continue.

On 6/18/07 we reported on interior work on the second floor of Unit 8 in the East Crescent complex. At that time carpet was installed in the classroom.
The next step is to enclose utility wall with a movable wooden closet.

Sculptor and alumnus Patrick Doyle re-visits Arcosanti to head this project.
Patrick is teamed up with workshop participant Thomas Cobb.
Teacher Thomas Cobb came from Rhode Island College with six of his students for the June 3. workshop program.

The frame for the closet is in place and we will continue this report on 7/23/07.

This continues the report from July 13. 2007 of all of the different stages of construction at the new Visitors Center entrance.
The crew dug a trench to prepare for a wall at the top of the ramp system.

Concrete for the retaining wall has been poured into the trench, with re-enforcement steel protruding to support the actual wall.

The crew of construction staff members, workshop participants and volunteers made a wooden form for the wall, erected it in place and raced it well.
Concrete is poured into the form shovel by shovel and then vibrated thoroughly for distribution.
The top of the wall is finished carefully to give it a very smooth surface.
This report will continue.

The annual ITALIAN NIGHT is the biggest event of the year at Arcosanti. The cooks start preparation two days ahead of time. Everyone helps to clean the site, wash windows, chairs and tables on the day before the event. This year's event took place on Saturday, July 14. 2007.
Staff, workshop participants and volunteers were divided into teams for food preparation, serving crews, clean-up and dish crews, and a team for set-up of tables and chairs, as wall as serving stations in the vaults.
Reservations were taken for about 360 people and a lot of visitors arrived early to take advantage of a guided tour of Arcosanti before dinner.

Menu planning was shared by Arcosanti chef's Carrie Krueger and Catarina Loy. It started with a delicious selection of Antipasto and Bread.
As in years past, the Pasta Siciliana with Eggplant was wheeled into the Vaults in wheelbarrows to commemorate construction of the project. The pasta is then served by Paolo Soleri and Project Manager Tomiaki Tamura.
The main course was Turkey Tonne, Cannelini Beans with Sundried Tomatos [vegetarian entre], Green Beans Parmesan and Green Salad with Gorgonzola and Toasted Almonds. For desert, Italian Ice and Arcosanti Biscotti.

The Colly Soleri Amphitheater was almost filled to capacity.


Sophrano Suzan Hanson, tenor Daniel Montenegro and pianist Victoria Kirsch gave a beautiful performance of a selection of European songs, as well as pieces from some of the great operas.

We are still catching up on recent construction activities at the new Visitors Center entrance, last reported on July 11. 2007.
Concrete work on the sloping wall between the first and the second level ramp continued with a concrete bench right next to the visitors path.
A wooden form was placed around an outcropping of rock and wegded in place with cinderblocks. Silt was packed around the rocks and a raised piece of wire mesh installed.
The construction crew, consisting of workshop participants and volunteers, packed concrete into the form very carefully.

Once the concrete was cured the form was removed and the silt washed of. This left the rocks under the bench exposed.

To explain the location, we face east from the visitors entrance. In the background we can see the ceramics kiln.
More to come on construction in this location on 7/18/07.

This continues the report from July 6. 2007 of construction the new Visitors Center entrance behind the Crafts III building.
Concrete work on the sloping wall between the first and the second level ramp proceeds with the forming up of a concrete bench right next to the path from the visitors center parking lot to the passenger bridge.

The wooden form is bent around an outcrop of rock and supported by cinderblocks. Inside of the form the rocks are covered and packed tight with silt.

Wire mesh is installed above the silt, raised on small support pins, to elevate the mesh to eventually be imbedded in concrete.
This report continues on 7/13/07.

Sunday evening, July 8. 2007, the Colly Soleri Amphitheater welcomed The Wise Family Band.
Respected contemporary folk musicians Scott and Louisa Wise performed with their three daughters Ruth (17), Lucy (16) and Rowena (13).
This was a very special occasion for Louisa Wise, who is an Arcosanti alumnus. She attended a construction workshop in 1973 and stayed on for 2 years, cooking about 125 meals three times per day in the old camp kitchen. At that time the Vaults, Foundry and Ceramics Apse were under construction.
Louisa left Arcosanti and emigrated to Australia where she met her husband Scott. All stringed instruments played in the band were made by Scott, who is a busy and respected professional luthier in Australia.

Ruth, Lucy and Rowena performed part of the program on their own.
The girls all sing and play a lot of instruments between them - fiddles, ukulele, bass, harmonica and various percussion instruments.

This very talented family band delighted their audience with a wide repertoire which included fiddle tunes from Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, some Basque, French Canadian, Cajun, Blues, pre-Blues African-American folk songs, Scottish and Appalachian traditional songs, works of contemporary songwriters, and original songs reflecting their region of Australia.
The family comes from Margaret River in Western Australia's deep southwest, where the forest and ocean make a great atmosphere for music and instrument-making. All of their playing, rehearsing and recording happens at the kitchen table in their big green house beside the forest.

The performance was preceeded by a delicious out-door barbeque dinner in the Vaults prepared by Arcosanti chef Carri Krueger. The menu:
Beef Shishkabob / Barbeque Chicken, vegitarian Portabello Mushroom Shishkabob, Wild-Rice Salad, Pepper Salad, Spinach Salad with Feta Cheese and mixed Melon Salad.

This continues the report from 7/02/07 of construction at the new Visitors Center entrance.
Work continues on the wall between the first and second level of the ramp.

The wall is formed up in sections. The crew works on one section at a time and gives it time to cure before proceeding to the next.

For this wall the concrete is mixed very dense to allow for packing at an angle.
This report continues on 7/11/07 with silt construction of a bench right next to the passenger bridge.

HAPPY JULY 4. INDEPENDENCE DAY
and Welcome to the July 2. 2007 workshop participants:
[back from left]:
Liu Chong, Patrizia Iorio, Amy Lynch, Oliver Wallace, Molly Gray, Bec Knaggs [seminar week], Annijke Wade, John Loughead and Li Ji.
[front from left]:
Joel Masters, Daiva Trudeau, Jiang Yuting, Huang Lin and Kristy Herman [seminar week].

This continues the report from 6/27/07, on construction at the new Visitors Center entrance.
The crew leveled the ground and installed formwork for a new concrete slab, right next to the existing entrance path.


This slab will provide parking spaces for handicapped visitors.

Smaller slabs are formed up and poured to connect the area to the ramp [see report from 4/30/07].
This report continues on 7/06/07.