Learning from the Earth: Our 2026 Workshop at the Canelo Project

In late July, DesignBuildUTAH@Bluff partnered with the Canelo Project to host a week-long International Interactive Plaster Workshop in Canelo, Arizona — a revered landmark for earthen plaster craftsmanship hosted by the Steen family.

This gathering carried deep historic roots, honoring a 40-year friendship between the Steen family and legendary Japanese plaster master Akira Kusumi. Passing this torch to the next generation, the workshop brought together Akira's son, internationally acclaimed plasterer Naoki Kusumi, alongside talented plasterers, friends from the US, the Canelo Project team, and our DBU@Bluff team. Throughout the week, more than 20 craftspeople mixed clay, exchanged traditional techniques, shared meals, and built lasting cross-cultural bonds.

Arriving at Canelo

Everything at Canelo teaches before anyone says a word. Walls are soft and hand-shaped, color comes from the soil, and small details — a sculpted spiral, a patterned inlay, a curved window edge — show what patient, careful work can do. Our first morning began simply by walking around and looking closely.

Each day started in the open-air workshop, where we gathered to talk through the materials and techniques we would practice that day.

Hands in the Clay

Most of our time was spent on real walls. Inside a straw bale building under construction, we watched demonstrations and then took turns applying plaster — learning how to prepare the surface, how thick each coat should be, and how to read the material as it changes under the trowel.

Base coats are left rough on purpose so the next layer can grip. Seeing a finished, textured wall next to a smooth one made the logic of each layer clear in a way no drawing could.

Outside, we tested finish colors on sample patches, comparing how each one looked in the bright Arizona sun before committing to a whole wall.

By the end of the week, everyone — from university students to the youngest members of our group — had plastered an exterior wall together. The curved walls, shaped by many hands, were a highlight for all of us.

Evenings Together

The learning did not stop when the tools were put away. We shared meals on the patio, and in the evenings we gathered in the living room for slide talks about past projects and ideas. Those conversations were just as valuable as the work on the walls.

Thank You, Canelo

We are deeply grateful to the Steen family and everyone at the Canelo Project for opening their home and workshop to us, and for sharing their knowledge so generously. What we learned in Elgin will come back with us to Bluff — in the walls we build, and in the way we build them together.