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Introducing artisanti, the new Cosanti Originals e-newsletter focusing on our unique, artisan-crafted goods. Individually made by hand in the same time-honored tradition for over 65 years, our distinctive windbells are sought-after and collected.
Look for features on our artisans, new handcrafted products like bell-inspired jewelry and decorative tile sets, and stay informed about exclusive offers, tours, and happenings at Cosanti and Arcosanti.
Photo credit, left: Jessica Jameson
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Were your Cosanti windbells ringing this holiday season? This time of year, bells seem to be on people's minds. From angels getting their wings in It's a Wonderful Life to the catchy refrain of Silver Bells, bells are on the brain.
On Christmas Eve, Cosanti Originals joined thousands of people all around the world in a collective bell-ringing event inspired by a social media movement on Facebook. We spotted some Cosanti windbells in those posts of bellringers cheerfully taking part all over the US and the world!
Bells were ringing again on New Year's Eve to honor the long-standing tradition of ringing in the new year. While we all know Cosanti Originals
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windbells make artful gifts, some collectors add a new bell to their own collections annually to artfully ring in the new year. 2022 may be 12 months away, but it's never too early to start a New Year's Eve windbell tradition of your own with family and friends!
Design credit, above: Jesca Wales
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Artisan Spotlight: Zeb Hornberger |
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Arcosanti resident, foundry artisan, drummer, and home cook |
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Although he has held a few different roles, for the past few years, Zeb has been a foundry artisan casting bronze bells into sand, a process called “sand casting." The method of sand casting was developed in China around 1000 BC and hasn’t changed much since the 1920s. |
Foundry artisans all have a favorite bell they enjoy making most. For Zeb, it's our huge #124P windbell weighing 35 pounds! Inspired by nature, music, and the imagination of others, Zeb continues to express his creative side outside of work. Zeb is a visual artist who makes functional bronze sculptures and block prints; a drummer; and an avid home cook known for his Thai Red Curry...yum!
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When Zeb Hornberger first visited Arcosanti, he was studying graphic design and came to "the urban laboratory" on a whim, without knowing what to expect.
Almost immediately, Zeb felt a connection and decided to stay. It was the “welcoming community and beautiful surrounding nature,” he says, that inspired him. That was May 2014 and Zeb's been an Arcosanti resident ever since.
Almost seven years ago, as a new resident, he was surprised about the assumptions that visitors made about Arcosanti: he heard “off-the-grid utopia,” “hippie commune,” and other misguided views. But for Zeb, his experience has been personally fulfilling, made even better by the good parties, people, and community-oriented activities at Arcosanti. He views Arcosanti as a place where "creative people can thrive and be motivated" by one another.
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Photo credits - portraits: Jessica Jameson; windbell: Tyler Cannata |
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The Power of Art
How A Connection to Arcosanti Inspired A Collection
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For years, whenever Rudy would travel from New Jersey to visit his father, a beekeeper living in Camp Verde, Arizona, they visited Arcosanti. His father loved the place and the people, becoming friends with many residents.
Late one October several years ago, Rudy was at Arcosanti for an overnight stay when a resident came into the cafe and announced a Halloween party - all residents and overnight guests were invited. After debating about whether to go, Rudy finally decided to drop in, just for a moment. “I have never felt more welcomed or part of a community,” Rudy remembers. "We laughed, drank champagne, and partied late into the night."
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Many years later, in October of 2019, Rudy and his wife were visiting Cosanti in Paradise Valley when Rudy fell in love with a sculptural panel by Paolo Soleri in aluminum and bronze using the lost Styrofoam mold casting method. They returned to New Jersey a few weeks later without acquiring it, however.
“I said to my wife, 'I don’t know what it represents but I can’t get it out of my mind.' I just knew I really, really would love to have that artwork” So, Rudy contacted Cosanti Originals, purchased the piece, and arranged for it to be shipped to him in New Jersey. Now that the panel is in their home displayed on an easel, Rudy says that for him, the sculpture “represents my gratitude to all of the people who have been kind to me over the years."
In addition to the sculptural panel that is the focal point of his Cosanti Originals collection, Rudy displays many bronze windbells and decorative ceramic tiles in his home. As someone who takes his Cosanti Originals collection to another level, Rudy is what we affectionately refer to as a "superfan." We look forward to seeing more of him when he makes his way to the Southwest again and hope something new - a sculptural bell mobile? A rain chain? - catches his eye at Cosanti Originals!
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Photo credits, top to bottom: Courtesy Arcosanti; Lindsay Rodabaugh; Rudy |
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6433 E Doubletree Ranch Rd Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
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