The Cosanti Foundation is celebrating half a century of dedication to the arts, environmental stewardship, research, education, and cultural transformation with a robust season of events and programs for the public.

From entertainment to education, the workshops, performances, and events take place, for the first time, at both Cosanti in Paradise Valley, and Arcosanti, near Cordes Junction, according to a press release.

The Cosanti Foundation stewards both sites and oversees Cosanti Originals, where the world-renowned windbells are hand-crafted by skilled artisans at both sites, the release said.

“We are proud to be celebrating 50 years of architectural experimentation at Arcosanti this year and we invite the community and visitors to take advantage of all the incredible programming we have to offer,” said The Cosanti Foundation Director of Marketing and Communications Kelly Bird in a prepared statement.

“We have a rich artistic history and an enduring cultural and architectural significance...to be able to celebrate that and create programs that bring new audiences to learn about what we do, is especially exciting. There have never been more reasons to see what’s happening at Arcosanti and Cosanti!”

Upcoming events are scheduled from March through October from an Arcosanti resident and alumni art exhibition at Arcosanti, which is open daily to the public through Nov. 1, to an outdoor concert featuring the classical duo Opus Two, according to the release.

Since its inception in 1965, according to the release, the non-profit Cosanti Foundation has sought to “influence the way the built environment is created with little negative effect to the surrounding natural environment through the experimental architecture and sustainability-minded programming offered at its two sites,” Cosanti and Arcosanti.

Cosanti, a designated site on Arizona’s Historic Registry, is home to the former design and architectural studios of Paolo Soleri, who is known for his experimental and theoretical architecture along with his forward-thinking environmental sensibility.

Also known for his advocacy for creating connected communities through vertically-dense live-work mixed-use spaces, and focusing on frugal, minimalist living, he established The Cosanti Foundation and began producing ceramic and bronze windbells, large-scale sculptures, and silt-cast panels to generate revenue to support the work of the Foundation. 

Skilled artisans continue to design and cast the world-renowned Cosanti Originals windbells in the spirit of his design aesthetic and tradition, the release noted.

For more about the upcoming happenings, workshops and special events at Arcosanti near Cordes Junction and Cosanti in Paradise Valley, as well as daily tours and more, visit arcosanti.org.