Since the mid-1950s Cosanti artisans have been experimenting with casting hand-crafted windchimes and sculptures, which directly translated to the construction of a unique form of concrete architecture.
Participants in this workshop will get a chance to work with The Cosanti Foundation staff as well as The School of Architecture faculty and students to design and create a mini decorative concrete casting. Participants will get a brief history lesson on silt casting at Cosanti and how this exercise relates to current casting methods that we still use today. Then our instructors and students will guide each participant on how to design a positive mold with foam and a negative mold with desert earth to create their concrete castings. Each participant will get to take home their crafted concrete sculpture or paperweight within the week of production.
This activity will take roughly two hours. While we will set up the workshop in the shade, we recommend wearing sun protection, comfortable shoes, and bringing a water bottle for the workshop. We also recommend washable, comfortable clothing due to the potential messy nature of the workshop.
This workshop is offered for $125 by reservation only. 5 spots will be made available for this initial experience. Reservations can be made here:
This experience is suitable for ages 18 and above. Each guest will be asked to sign a waiver before participating in this experience. Local pickup of finished sculptures is recommended, as shipping will incur an additional fee.