Remembering Allegra Fuller Snyder
ALLEGRA FULLER SNYDER • August 28, 1927 - July 11, 2021
We are mourning the passing of Allegra Fuller Snyder. Her family shared with us that Allegra passed on Sunday, July 11th with the same ease and grace that she lived her life. Allegra was a dancer, UCLA professor, dance ethnologist, choreographer, and author. She shared her joy and enthusiasm for life through her love of dance. Allegra was the daughter of our building's designer Buckminster Fuller. We are forever grateful to the support and generosity she has shown to the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability over the years. Allegra’s support of the Center accounts in large part for our organizations vitality. Our prayers are with her children Jaime and Alexandra as well as the rest of her family as they navigate her passing.
The following memoriam was written by Allegra’s family upon her passing:
Allegra Snyder, professor emerita and former chair of the Department of Dance at UCLA, and a founder of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, died July 11 at her apartment in Stroudwater Lodge, Westbrook, Maine, at the age of 93. The daughter of R. Buckminster Fuller and Anne Hewlett Fuller, Allegra was born in Chicago. Her primary education was at the Dalton School in New York City, a learning experience that she cherished. On graduation day from Bennington College in 1951, Allegra married Robert Snyder, who had recently won the Academy Award Oscar for Best Feature Documentary in 1950 for his film on Michelangelo. Allegra attended the School of American Ballet and studied with Martha Graham during her years at Bennington.
After the birth of her two children, Alexandra Fuller Snyder and Jaime Lawrence Snyder, Allegra and Bob drove west to Los Angeles. With her children in school, Allegra enrolled at UCLA, earning a Master’s in Dance in 1967 and then joined the faculty there. She retired from UCLA in 1991. During her long career at UCLA, Allegra developed many curriculum innovations concerning dance, ethnography, culture, and art. In addition to serving as chair of the Dept. of Dance at UCLA, Allegra directed the World Arts and Cultures interdisciplinary program which became the Dept. of World Arts and Cultures/Dance in 1995. She researched and lectured widely around the world including a year in England on a Fulbright Grant and a year in Kerala, India, on a sabbatical.
She was long-active with the Congress on Research in Dance (CORD) and the National Endowment of Arts, dance division. Snyder was a visiting professor of performance studies at New York University from 1982-83 and was honorary visiting professor at the University of Surrey, Guildford, England from 1983-84. She also taught at CalArts and at Naropa Institute.
Following the death of her father, Buckminster Fuller, in 1983, Allegra took a significant role in determining a path to preserve her father’s work and to find ways to promote its relevance going forward. She was a passionate and articulate educator on the principles of her father’s work and encouraged many to think independently and follow their unique experience in life.
Allegra enjoyed and took a keen interest in the growth of her two grandchildren, Olivia Allegra May and Rowan Keith May, and of her two step grandchildren, Mira Kennedy and Elizabeth Demaray.Allegra’s husband, Robert Snyder, died in 2004. After 55 years in Southern California, Allegra packed up her bags and moved back home to NYC. She spent eight years living in Murray Hill fully engaged in New York dance and other arts, as well as reconnecting with life-long friends and family. Throughout her life she spent many summers in Penobscot Bay, Maine, on Bear Island, which will be her final resting place.
PBS Program Features Fuller Dome at SIUE
The St Louis PBS station, Channel Nine, produced an informative and entertaining program on the legacy of our Center’s designer Buckminster Fuller. The region in Southern Illinois from St Louis to Carbondale is the most important region in the world for architecture directly related to Buckminster Fuller. You can watch the full program by clicking the link below:
Stories'n Stones: Cahokia's Woodhenge
Marilyn and Larry Kinsella return to the Fuller Dome on Saturday, July 24th at 7PM to share stories and ancient tools relating to the creation of Woodhenge at the Cahokia Mounds historic site near Collinsville Illinois. Woodhenge is an ancient solar calendar comprised of a large circle of cedar poles that were likely used to site Solstice and Equinox alignments.
Larry Kinsella is an ancient tool expert and he worked on the reconstruction of Woodhenge. He will talk about the stone tools he made and used to keep the reconstruction of Woodhenge as near to genuine as possible. Marilyn Kinsella is a gifted and renowned storyteller who will be sharing stories relevant to Woodhenge's theme of capturing the light and fire of the sun. We hope to see you in the dome on Saturday, July 24th for this exciting event. The Fuller Dome is located on the SIUE campus, just off of Circle Drive, next to Visitor Parking Lot B.
Searching for the Sacred with Paul Coutinho
Join the C.S.S. online for this engaging series as we Search for the Sacred with author Paul Coutinho on the 2nd Sundays of June, July, and August.
In this 3-part series we will be Searching for the Sacred through Islamic Mysticism on June 13th, Living in the Sacred through Ignatian Spirituality on July 11th and reflecting on our relationship with the sacred through Cognitive Behavior Therapy on August 8th.
This is on online event hosted through Zoom. The reservation ticket is $30 and includes $20 donation to Paul and a $10 donation to the CSS. Upon registering you will be given access to a zoom link to watch this inspiring series with author Paul Coutinho.
Please join us on Second Sundays at 7 pm to meditate and reflect with internationally renowned author and speaker Paul Coutinho, PhD. Inspired by Ignatian spirituality, Eastern spirituality, and Western psychology, Paul’s books include "How Big is Your God", "Just as You Are," and "Sacred Darkness."
Coal Mining’s Dark and Dirty Truth
Local group brings together historian and environmental advocate to explore the dark and dirty secrets of coal mining—past and present
The Confluence Climate Collaborative in conjunction with SIUE’s Fuller Dome will be hosting a unique event to dive into the environmental and human degradation of coal mining in Illinois. Author of Sixteen Tons, Kevin Corley will be on hand as well as Sierra Club volunteer and activist Joyce Blumenshine.
Corley’s book Sixteen Tons introduces us to the men and women who fought BIG COAL in the early days of mining in this country--exposing racism, corporate greed and human suffering which would be hard to imagine today. The author will lead us through and discuss the history and brutality of those practices.
Sierra Club Conservation Committee chair Joyce Blumenshine will present a present-day look at coal mining in Illinois with a focus on the Deer Run Mine near Hillsboro, IL and the devastation that is being caused to farms, homes and highways by long wall mining.
Event: Coal Mining’s Dark and Dirty Truth—Past and Present • Book Discussion and Presentation
Date: Friday, June 4
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 pm
All are welcome. The event is being offered in person with social distancing and via Zoom. Please RSVP by emailing wisdom@studiogaiaedwardsville.com or calling (618) 779-5378. The Confluence Climate Collaborative (CCC) is a grassroots collaborative with a mission statement that seeks to educate as many people as possible about how climate change threatens the planet and provide as many tools as possible to empower a change.
Stories 'n Stones
Stones are the Keepers of the Stories • An engaging presentation uniting the storytelling talent of Marilyn Kinsella with the stone-tool making skills of her husband Larry Kinsella
Marilyn Kinsella, the Storyteller, teams up with her husband Larry Kinsella, the Stone-Tool Maker to offer this entertaining and informative presentation in the Fuller Dome, on the SIUE campus, in Edwardsville Illinois, on Saturday, May 29th at 7:00 PM. The program opens with Marilyn presenting a traditional Iroquois story, "Skunny Wundy aand the Stone Giant." This tale recounts the adventures of the trickster, Skunny Wundy and his amusing encounter with the Stone Giant. Following the story, Larry demonstrates the primative tools that Marilyn referneced in the story - stone axes, atlatls, spears, banner stones, flint knives and arrow points. Larry explains the process of how these tools were made and how they were used. Marilyn returns to tell a riveting tale from the Northwest, "The Whistling Tsonquas."
Earth Day 2021
The Center for Spirituality & Sustainability, presents a noon hour program in observance of Earth Day, on Thursday, April 22nd, 2021 in the Fuller Dome on the SIUE campus.
You may join us in person in the Fuller Dome. Seating will be limited to the first 40 attendees. Masks are required in the Fuller Dome. You may also join us here in a Facebook Live stream. The CSS is teaming up with Sally Burgess of Studio Gaia and the Sierra Club to offer this program integrating prayer with action. We'll be opening with a guided mediation / prayer for the planet followed by outlining legislation and actions steps directed to bring our relationship with the planet into balance.
Mindfulness Week
SIUE Student Group Organizes Mindfulness Week at the Fuller Dome
“Mindfulness Week” at the Fuller Dome is a student lead project from the SIUE Applied Communications Studies program running this week from 3/29/21 to 4/2/21. It is kicking off a year long celebration of the dome’s 50th Anniversary. Check out the “Mindfulness Week” programming below:
Senator Crowe Visits the Dome
“When you live close to something, you can take it for granted,” said Crowe. “I grew up in Wood River and was familiar with the Dome, but I certainly didn’t understand the significance of it. It’s been a real educational experience for me. There are people outside of the country who recognize the importance of and the legacy of (sustainability pioneer) R. Buckminster Fuller. He and his contributions should be better known in our country, region and state.”
Center Director Benjamin Lowder shares the Dome’s history and future plans with Senator Crowe.
“What struck me most is Fuller’s foresight, and that we are still considering the same things today,” continued Crowe. “I also learned how underutilized the Center is. The educational aspect and potential for SIUE students and others in the area is amazing.”
Senator Crowe and Benjamin Lowder admiring Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome on the SIUE campus
The senator was excited about using her position on the Senate Tourism and Hospitality Committee to elevate the CSS and help meet its objectives. “The Center fits in exactly with what we need in our area – tourism. We need to get the word out better about Mr. Fuller and everything he has contributed, so we can draw people here.” … You can read the full story here in the SIUE News …
New Leadership Announced for the CSS Board
Read the SIUE news story announcing the new CSS leadership structure.
L-R: Katja Kopp, CSS vice president of sustainability; Connie Frey Spurlock, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and CSS board president; and Jeanne Aguirre, CSS vice president of spirituality.
SIUE’s Frey Spurlock to Lead Center for Spirituality and Sustainability’s Board of Directors
Strengthening and expanding the work, influence and partnerships of the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability (CSS) on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is the vision of its board of directors’ new president Connie Frey Spurlock, PhD.
Frey Spurlock, associate professor in the Department of Sociology, SIUE Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC) director and former CSS board member, is excited about working closer with the board in her new position. …
Benjamin Lowder Named CSS Director
Read the SIUE News Feature on Benjamin Lowder’s appointment to the newly created CSS Director position
CSS Director Benjamin Lowder
CSS Director Lowder Helps Spread Buckminster Fuller’s Message to the World
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Fuller Dome Center for Spirituality and Sustainability (CSS) on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, by renowned sustainability pioneer R. Buckminster Fuller and his architectural partner Shoji Sadao. The CSS’s new director, Ben Lowder, plans to use the observance as a way to further advance CSS’s mission and Fuller’s vision.
“This occasion provides an opportunity to place the Center and its organizational mission onto a global stage through its importance to Bucky’s legacy,” said Lowder. “Increased awareness will amplify fundraising opportunities that will allow us to address the physical needs of the building, while maintaining the metaphysical aspects of our mission.” … click here to read the rest on the SIUE News site
Search for the Sacred with Paul Coutinho
Second Saturdays at the CSS
Click to register for this Second Sundays at the CSS speaker series
Beginning with February 14th at 7 pm, please join us on Second Sundays at 7 pm to meditate and reflect with internationally renowned author and speaker Paul Coutinho, PhD. Inspired by Ignatian spirituality, Eastern spirituality, and western psychology, Paul’s books include How Big is Your God, Just as You Are, and Sacred Darkness.
Due to our observance of SIUE's current pandemic mitigation guidelines we are offering this series as an online Zoom event. The reservation ticket is $30 and includes $20 donation to Paul and a $10 donation to the CSS. Upon registering you will be given access to a zoom link to watch the 3rd installment of this inspiring series with author Paul Coutinho.
The CSS is the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). We are an independent, not-for-profit organization, serving SIUE and external communities since 1971. We welcome all individuals and groups who share our values of diversity, inclusion, faith, and stewardship. Designed by Buckminster Fuller, the geodesic dome that is home to the CSS is a miniature earth which rests on the 90th meridian, the only line of longitude that is the same in both hemispheres of the planet. As such, the Fuller Dome embodies the essence of Fuller’s philosophies. Please, come sit in our central room, and look up – you are now at the center of the Earth, gazing out into the universe.
Setting Intensions for the New Year
We are so excited and grateful for the new year and our new partnership with Studio Gaia, who is moving into the Fuller Dome with us. Our first collaborative offering with Studio Gaia, is happening online this Saturday, Jan. 9th, 2021, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM CST, as a Zoom Workshop being lead by Ruth Cohen Kubicek. We look forward to seeing you:
Setting Intentions & Yoga: A Workshop for Finding Your Guiding Light
Have you been feeling disconnected, untethered, a little lost, scared or worried, or confused by all that is going on in the world? Join Ruthie for a time & space to clear & clean out your old energies, reset, reboot, & refresh.
Have you been feeling disconnected, untethered, a little lost, scared or worried, or confused by all that is going on in the world? Are you battle weary? Join Ruthie for a time and space to clear and clean out your old energies, reset, reboot, and refresh.
The workshop will provide a safe setting in which to explore what intention setting is all about, why it is important, how to bring yourself into a higher energetic frequency, get perspective and plant seeds to overcome our natural negativity brain bias, and become more comfortable with being with the empty space within, more comfortable with discomfort, and become more attuned and connected to our higher self and those of others. Join us this Jan. 9th, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM CST for this inspiring Zoom Workshop.
2020 Spirituality and Sustainability Leadership Awards
You can now watch our 2020 Awards program In this recording of the Zoom Webinar we hosted to honor Sally Burgess, of Studio Gaia, for Spirituality Leadership and William Odell, of HOK Architects, for Sustainability Leadership. The event was broadcast from the Buckminster Fuller designed, Fuller Dome on the SIUE campus and presented by the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability, with music by Tebe Zalango.
Second Sundays at the CSS
Please join us in the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability’s Fuller Dome on Second Sundays at 7 pm to meditate and reflect with internationally renowned author and speaker Paul Coutinho, PhD. Inspired by Ignatian theology, Eastern spirituality, and western psychology, Paul’s books include How Big is Your God, Just as You Are, and Sacred Darkness. Paul’s Blog can be found at https://paulcoutinho.wordpress.com/.
Suggested donations include $20 to Paul and $10 to the CSS. Please note that we are following all COVID-19 guidelines – face masks and also temperature checks are required for entry into the CSS. Reservations will be required for Paul’s talks, since our room capacity with safe physical distancing is limited to 20 attendees. For those who cannot attend in person, Second Sundays at the CSS with Paul will also be livestreamed the “Fuller Dome” Facebook Page
The CSS is the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). We are an independent, not-for-profit organization, serving SIUE and external communities since 1971. We welcome all individuals and groups who share our values of diversity, inclusion, faith, and stewardship. Designed by Buckminster Fuller, the geodesic dome that is home to the CSS is a miniature earth which rests on the 90th meridian, the only line of longitude that is the same in both hemispheres of the planet. As such, the Fuller Dome embodies the essence of Fuller’s philosophies. Please, come sit in our central room, and look up – you are now at the center of the Earth, gazing out into the universe.
Upcoming Second Sundays in 2020:
October 11, 7:00 pm
November 8, 7:00 pm
December 13, 7:00 pm
CENTER FOR SPIRITUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
SIUE Campus Box 1059 • Edwardsville, IL 62026
phone: (618) 650-3246 • email: fullerdome@hotmail.com
Monday - Friday • 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Inquire about renting the Fuller Dome for your next event.
Our 17th Annual Awards Event is Going Online to the World
Register Now for the 2020 Spirituality and Sustainability Leadership Awards Online Event
For the first time in this events 17 year history, it will be live, to the world, from the Fuller Dome.
The Center for Spirituality and Sustainability is hosting its 17th annual Leadership Awards Dinner on Saturday, October 17th, at 7:00 p.m. LIVE online to the world from the Fuller Dome. Each year the Center bestows two awards, one for Spirituality Leadership and one for Leadership in Sustainability. These dual awards reflect the Center’s mission to “promote humanity’s sacred connection to the Earth and each other.” The 2020 Spirituality and Sustainability Award recipients are:
Spirituality Leadership Award: Sally Burgess – Sally Burgess, MBA, MS, is the founder and director of Studio Gaia, nurturing wellness practices for body-mind-spirit through yoga, meditation, and guidance for personal inner peace and spirituality. Studio Gaia also sponsors spiritual reading groups and an interfaith prayer circle, as well as raising funds for disaster relief, and offering free clothing for those in need. In addition to her efforts at Studio Gaia, Sally is also a Sierra Club organizer for the downstate region of Illinois. Through her many activities she encourages individuals to explore their unique gifts and talents within various nurturing environments.
Sustainability Leadership Award: William Odell – Bill Odell is a true leader in his field, having worked for 32 years as an architect with the HOK architecture firm. He designed a diverse range of award-winning sustainable projects around the world. Bill’s comprehensive knowledge of design science, provided progressive solutions to HOK’s industry-leading sustainable design initiatives. Bill is a frequent speaker on architecture, environmental issues and professional ethics. Bill helped to define green building standards by coauthoring "The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design," which quickly became a reference guide on sustainable, high-performance design across the field of architecture.
Tickets for this LIVE online awards ceremony are $10
For more information call Ben Lowder at (618) 650-3246 or email: fullerdome@hotmail.com
A Guided Tour of the Fuller Dome
Learn About Solar Over Your Lunch Hour
The Solar Power
The SIUE Fuller Center for Spirituality & Sustainability is pleased to partner with Grow Solar Metro East this year. Join us on Tuesday, August 18th at Noon for an info-packed virtual Power Hour!
Join us on Tuesday, August 18th at Noon for an info-packed virtual Power Hour!
Why dedicate your lunch hour to this? Whether you're thinking of going solar this year or sometime in the future, we promise you will up your Solar IQ significantly! You'll learn what a group-buy program is and its benefits while getting a crash course in how solar works, site considerations, cost recovery incentives, financing options, and more. You'll also have the chance to ask live questions to solar experts in real time.
Why is the SIUE Fuller Center partnering on this program? Going solar not only lowers electric bills, but it also means cleaner air, water, and soil. This benefits all of us - humans, wildlife, and the healthy habitats upon which we all depend. In addition, our 2018 Sustainability Leadership award recipient, Sheila Voss, who also serves as a Grow Solar Ambassador, will be hosting the August 18th Power Hour, and would love to invite all those who share two of her passions - a clean energy future and healthy lands and waters for all. Join us! Sign up info below.
NEW DATE for our: 2020 Spirituality & Sustainability Awards Dinner
OUR DINNER HAS A NEW OCTOBER DATE
Sally Burgess & William Odell to be Honored at the 17th Annual Awards Dinner
The Center for Spirituality and Sustainability is hosting its 17th annual Leadership Awards Dinner on Saturday, October 17th, at 7:00 p.m. in the LeClaire Room on the N. O. Nelson Campus of Lewis and Clark Community College in Edwardsville. Each year the Center bestows two awards, one for Spirituality Leadership and one for Leadership in Sustainability. These dual awards reflect the Center’s mission to “promote humanity’s sacred connection to the Earth and each other.” The 2020 Spirituality and Sustainability Award recipients are:
Spirituality Leadership Award: Sally Burgess – Sally Burgess, MBA, MS, is the founder and director of Studio Gaia, nurturing wellness practices for body-mind-spirit through yoga, meditation, and guidance for personal inner peace and spirituality. Studio Gaia also sponsors spiritual reading groups and an interfaith prayer circle, as well as raising funds for disaster relief, and offering free clothing for those in need. In addition to her efforts at Studio Gaia, Sally is also a Sierra Club organizer for the downstate region of Illinois. Through her many activities she encourages individuals to explore their unique gifts and talents within various nurturing environments.
Sustainability Leadership Award: William Odell – Bill Odell is a true leader in his field, having worked for 32 years as an architect with the HOK architecture firm. He designed a diverse range of award-winning sustainable projects around the world. Bill’s comprehensive knowledge of design science, provided progressive solutions to HOK’s industry-leading sustainable design initiatives. Bill is a frequent speaker on architecture, environmental issues and professional ethics. Bill helped to define green building standards by coauthoring "The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design," which quickly became a reference guide on sustainable, high-performance design across the field of architecture.
The Center for Spirituality and Sustainability is a nonprofit multifaith home for spirituality and sustainability efforts housed in the Buckminster Fuller designed, miniature earth, dome on the SIUE campus.