Cosanti Originals in Paradise Valley has announced the return of guided tours beginning this month as well as two new silt-casting courses, all led by knowledgeable guide and skilled artisan Dakota Petersen.

Guided tours

Whether visiting Cosanti for the first time or the fiftieth, these guided tours, give guests a new perspective on the land, the architecture and the ideology of Cosanti. Guests will explore the historic architecture, philosophy and legacy of artisan craftwork which has sustained Cosanti for 70 years. Availability is limited. Tours can be booked directly at cosanti.com/pages/visit-and-tour.

Silt-casting workshops

Petersen also leads the immersive silt-casting courses at Cosanti, with two new dates added to the calendar this month—Thursday, May 15 and Thursday, May 22. Combining artistic expression informed by the desert with an exploration of Cosanti’s innovative and experimental historic site, these workshops guide students through a hands-on plaster casting experience that will help them gain a feel for the desert soil. As they create their own one-of-a-kind personal keepsake, participants will be taught the same techniques which has enabled the construction of Cosanti itself over the course of its decades-long history.

Attendees will engage in discussions on composition, decoration and utility of silt molds, the interface between positive and negative form, and the artistic capabilities of this most flexible medium—the earth itself.

During the course, students will have the opportunity to design, pigment and excavate their own plaster tile using the skills they learn in the class combined with their own artistic intuition. The experience also includes an hour-long tour of Cosanti’s structures and a lesson in its history—which delves into Cosanti’s relationship with architecture, art and craft as well as how the ideology of Arcology was born from the cooperation of the built environment with the natural landscape. Guests may also see the casting of new bronze windbells in the foundry.

Workshop schedule is as follows:

10 a.m.—Sign-in and orientation
10:15 a.m.—Guided tour of Cosanti

11:15 a.m.—Silt designing, pigmenting and casting
12:30 p.m.—Short break (feel free to bring a boxed lunch)

1 p.m.—Excavation, photos and conclusion

This experience is suitable for ages 10 to 100+ and all skill levels are welcome. Materials and techniques will be demonstrated over the course of the event. Good walking shoes and comfortable, washable clothing is advised as there is a possibility of messy hands (and clothes!).

Space is limited to just 15 participants per workshop and the cost is $125+ per person. Guests can register and learn more at arcosanti.org/casting-cosanti/.

For more about Cosanti, visit cosanti.com.