Dan Griesel with pottery crafted during the Spring 2012 Semester

Dan Griesel Presents Pottery Work of the Semester

As the Spring 2012 semester drew to a close, Dan Griesel presented pottery work accomplished this semester during his studies at Ecosa. All continuing Master’s level students engaged with craft activities during the semester; Dan worked with master potter Glen Trotter while exploring clay as a textile medium.

On April 27, 2012, Ecosa students presented final work on this semester’s Frontier Village project. The project focused on economic, lifestyle, agriculture and cultural concerns as well as creating a sense of place. Dustin Wright’s artwork exploring these concepts is shown here. Dustin’s concept, along with most of the other students’, explored the idea of creating daylight/courtyard areas within existing structures at Frontier Village.

Artwork created by Dustin Wright for Frontier Village Re-Design Concept

Associate Director Tom Hahn works with Tad Murawska in preparation for Frontier Village Presentation

Students Prepare for Frontier Village Presentation

Leading up the the April 27 presentation, Ecosa students worked with faculty to prepare drawings that illustrate concept ideas for a vision that regenerates the Frontier Village shopping area located on the Yavapai Indian Reservation. During each project, faculty members review work with students to provide insights that may help strengthen the quality of their work. The week of April 27 was a busy week of activity as students geared up for the final presentation of this project.

Outdoor Shower Party: Chris Aleman, Conor Estes, Victoria LaRocca, Tad Murawska

Southern Arizona Trip Spring 2012

On April 5, 2012 Ecosa students ventured down South to the City of Tucson to visit local rainwater harvester and activist, Brad Lancaster. The Tucson field trip began with a visit to Brad’s home where he has worked with various rain water conservation strategies ranging from curb cuts and catch basins to gray water systems that use laundry rinse water to water fruit trees.  One of the installations at the property is an out-door shower, shown in the photograph here.

Prescott, Az landscape from Thumb Butte

Listening to Place – A Guide for Designing with Nature

Please consider checking out the article by the same name recently published on our website, authored by our very own Megan Dixon!

Check it out here: http://www.ecosainstitute.org/ecosa-institute-news/listening-to-place.html

A photo from the first day of classes in 2012

EcosaInst now has 1,000 friends on Facebook!

This week EcosaInst, our “friend” presence on Facebook added our 1,000th friend!  Thanks to everyone who has supported Ecosa and become a friend of our cause. We’ve experienced many new connections in the past year and look forward to new ones to come. At Ecosa we hope to support our community in more direct ways in the future. If you or someone you know is interested in growing the community experience of Ecosa, please contact Levi Mason at outreach@ecosa.org

And feel free to invite your friends to join us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EcosaInstitute (Note: will need to be logged into your facebook account to connect to us there.)

Happy Spring!

Andrew Gansenberg. Photo Credit: Galen Taylor

Reclaimed Skateboard by Andrew Gansenberg

Continuing student, Andrew Gansenberg, has always had a strong passion for downhill skateboarding. Over the years he started feeling bad about beating his gear to an unusable state and the wasting of its embodied energy. As a result, Andrew decided that he wanted to research and create a product that has a focus on “product lifecycle as well a designing a high performance board that rides as well as anything on the market.”

Vacuum Press to bind board together

As part of the Regenerative Craft Project, Andrew has been working alongside woodworker Ben Davidson from SecondHand Trees to create a board using hardwood that would of otherwise been thrown into a landfill. The preliminary design and construction of the skateboard was displayed at last month’s Spatial Art Event. The board will be constructed using hardwood scraps from construction sites and will be bound together using non- toxic materials. So far, Andrew has carved the mold for the skate deck and has been piecing together thin layers of dimensional lumber.

Dimensional Lumber made out of wood scraps from construction sites

Once the many thin layers of dimensional lumber planks are finished, Andrew will bind the pieces together using a homemade vacuum press and will finish the board with a nut based, non toxic epoxy. The reclaimed longboard is expected to be displayed at the end of the semester at Ecosa’s Regenerative Craft Exhibition.

(from Left to Right) Connor Estes, Tad Murawska, Cody Lundin, Kimber Griesser, & Victoria LaRocca

As a unique component to the Ecosa design Program, students are invited each semester to visit survivalist, Cody Lundin at his passive solar, off-grid homestead to work on a construction project. The projects vary every semester. In the past, students have built chicken coops, raised beds, anglerfish sculptures with reinforced concrete forms, as well as designed the shape of pathways and mosaic tile work. On March 23rd- 24th, students were asked to design tile work in Cody’s outdoor kitchen. While the design task was challenging due to limited time (minimal: daylight, days, and labor), limited material, learning a new craft and exposure to the high desert natural elements, the students pulled though and created a work of art for Cody and future guests.

Below are photos of the progression of the tile work for the Lizard BBQ

Director Antony Brown works with graduate level students during April 3 design meeting

Ecosa students continue work on Frontier Village Re-Design concept

On April 3, 2012 Masters level students met with Ecosa Director Antony Brown to explore work already accomplished on the Frontier Village Re-Design concept. Earlier in the semester students met with the Yavapai Tribe Chairman and the Yavapai Tribe planner to gather background information. Since that time students have continued to gather information about the site and research potential solutions that will revitalize the shopping area. On April 3, graduate students met with Antony Brown to go over some early concept ideas and receive guidance and feedback as they take next steps to further develop the work.

Graduate level students at Ecosa work more independently in their second semester, yet at the same time continue to work directly with faculty as projects and concepts are developed.

Rights & Responsilities slide from Katy Szapa's review

Katy Szapa presents book review on “At Home On Earth”

On April 3, 2012 continuing Master’s level student Katy Szapa presented a review on the anthology “At Home On Earth” which includes pieces from authors such as Wendell Berry and others.  The sub heading of the title reads “Becoming Native to our Place, A Multicultural Anthology”.  The book explores themes of indigenous wisdom, contemporary thought on connecting to place and how every human being has connection to the living world, whether realized or not.

Katy Szapa with Antony Brown, Kimber Griesser and other graduate students

Every semester, Ecosa students are required to do outside research related to their studies at Ecosa Institute, which they bring to share with their learning cohorts.