THE FOUNDATION AMONG THE MANY APPROACHES TO CREATIVITY CELEBRATED BY K ANEKO ARE THE PATHWAYS EXPLORED BY JUN K ANEKO HIMSELF. OVER THE COURSE OF 50 YEARS SPENT WORKING IN BOTH HIS NATIVE JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES, JUN HAS USED CLAY AND OTHER MATERIALS AS A DOORWAY INTO THE VERY NATURE OF OBJECTS, ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY OCCUPY SPACE IN OUR WORLD, HOW THEY RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER AND HOW THEY HELP US EXPERIENCE OUR HUMANITY IN A MEANINGFUL WAY When one understands the trajectory of Jun Kaneko’s life, the inception of KANEKO in Omaha fits intuitively into his artistic journey and the Omaha creative community at large. Jun was born in Nagoya, Japan, in 1942, and studied painting with Satoshi Ogawa during his adolescence—working in his studio during the day and attending high school in the evening. Jun came to the United States in 1963 to continue his studies at Chouinard Institute of Art, when his introduction to Fred Marer drew him to sculptural ceramics. He proceeded to study with Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner, and Jerry Rothman in California during the time now defined as the Contemporary Ceramics Movement in America. The following decade, Jun taught at some of the nation’s leading art schools, including Scripps College, Rhode Island School of Design and Cranbrook Academy of Art, before settling permanently in Omaha in 1986.
KANEKO was established in 1998 by Jun and his wife Ree, whose extensive experience with the Omaha arts community, nonprofit administration and collaboration have been an essential part of the organization’s development. KANEKO was imagined as an open space to explore and encourage the process of creativity, and how it impacts our lives. Ree and Jun wanted to expose audiences to how creativity manifests itself across a whole range of human activity— art, science, philosophy, business, urban planning, education—to cultivate creativity in our citizens and invest in a creative society.
THE BUILDINGS LOCATED IN THREE HISTORIC WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS, K ANEKO’S PHYSICAL SPACE IS AS INSPIRING AS ITS ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING. IT IS A UNIQUE ARENA FOR THE EXPLORATION OF IDEAS, ART FORMS, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES, AND AN OPEN FORUM FOR DEBATE, DISCUSSION, CONTEMPLATION AND INNOVATION.
KANEKO is housed in the former home of the Fairmont Creamery Company, which was incorporated in 1884 in Fairmont, Neb. The company was founded for the production and sale of butter, eggs and poultry. The Fairmont Creamery Company had a rapid expansion after the turn of the century. The general offices were moved from Fairmont, NE to Omaha, NE in 1907, which was a more convenient location. By 1930 the company had nearly 3,000 cream stations throughout the United States providing a market for their home-separated cream. Ice cream was first manufactured at the Omaha plant in 1907. By 1934, ice cream was made at nearly all plants. In 1920 Fairmont created what is believed to have been the first refrigerated ice cream delivery truck in the United States. This truck, built by an Omaha mechanic, was used to service retail stores from the factory. During the 1970s, Fairmont Foods closed and disposed of several of its original dairy and snack food operations and moved its headquarters from Omaha to Houston. The last ice cream processing plant, located in Omaha, was closed in December 1982 after being bought out by Circle K Corporation.
Jun acquired the first Old Market warehouse building in 1988, and subsequently purchased two adjacent buildings. By 2003, renovations began to present KANEKO to the public. Los Angeles architect Mark Mack was named the principal architect and designer, integrating the historic structures with contemporary design elements, balancing the duality of preservation and innovation. The first space in the KANEKO complex opened to the public in 2009 was the former 9,200 square-foot Ford Allied Van garage building.
The renovations were designed by Mack and implemented by Omaha architect William Stott. Now known as SPACE 1, the interior is free of columns or other vertical supports, making the uninterrupted space unusually versatile. Ideal for exhibitions, performances, seminars and large audiences, the SPACE 1 renovation was funded by Omaha philanthropist Richard D. Holland and its opening heralded the exciting future of KANEKO.
A collaborative effort between KANEKO and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the KANEKOUNO Library opened its doors in 2009. This creativity library is a state-of-the-art facility of the future, a space that provides resources, stimuli and intellectual possibilities.
CREATING DIALOGUE
Our goal during KANEKO’s initial programming period was to create dialogue, share creative concepts and engage the community. The Great Minds lecture series, a forum for the world’s most advanced thinkers, began with the inaugural lecture presented by Wade Davis, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. Subsequent speakers included Sir Ken Robinson, celebrated scholar on creativity and education; Dr. Kathy Schick and Dr. Nicholas Toth, archeologists at the Leakey Foundation; Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author; and Sweeta Noori of Women for Women International. This high-caliber roster continued with Joan Acocello, acclaimed critic for The New Yorker magazine; Josh Cooley, Academy Award-winning animator of the celebrated animated films Up and Ratatouille; and singer, songwriter and author Rosanne Cash.
for PORTALS by composer Phillip Glass. Violinist Timothy Fain and dancer/choreographer Benjamin Millepied performed Glass’s six-movement suite based on Leonard Cohen’s Book of Longing, which premiered in New York City, traveled back to Omaha where it was created and performed at KANEKO and then moved on to Los Angelels, and continues to tour throughout the U.S.
PORTALS, the collaborative contemporary project developed and realized by the Experimental Studio at KANEKO, was brought to audiences to witness the creation of exceptional art. A professional team made up of two musicians, a filmmaker, a poet and a dancer responded to a new work written especially
Steel sculptures by the renowned American abstract sculptor Fletcher Benton anchored an exhibit of his work at KANEKO, Folded Square Alphabets and Numericals. His pieces from this series served as a focal point for a season of programs and events.
Just as the Experimental Studio encouraged freeform thinking at KANEKO, IDEA LAB is a programmatic umbrella that manifests the KANEKO concept in the community. IDEA LAB has built pivotal educational programs such as Seeing With New Eyes, a new way of teaching and learning for American Indian children and teens, which has been successfully adopted by the public school system.
E X PLO R I N G N E W S PACE S
AS THE MOST PUBLIC FACE OF KANEKO, PROGRAMMING MANIFESTS AN EXPANSIVE DEFINITION OF CREATIVITY. KANEKO PRESENTS LECTURES, EXHIBITIONS AND READINGS BY VISUAL AND LITERARY ARTISTS; PERFORMANCES BY MUSICIANS, DANCERS, ACTORS AND CONCEPTUALISTS; AND LECTURES BY SCIENTISTS AND PHILOSOPHERS WHO ARE ACTIVELY CREATING OUR WORLD. SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, CLASSES AND CAMPS INVITE THE CURIOUS TO BECOME PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN LEARNING ABOUT BOTH NEW AND FAMILIAR SUBJECTS. INCREASED PROGRAMMING CONTINUES TO CONNECT KANEKO’S MISSION WITH THE COMMUNITY. KANEKO ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING—SUCH AS REIMAGINING LEADERSHIP, FEEDBACK, EKO NOVA AND THE GREAT MINDS SERIES—IS BEING EXPANDED AS KANEKO UTILIZES THE EXISTING SPACE RENOVATIONS AND THE ADDITION OF THE ATRIUM AND THE COLLECTION BUILDING. KANEKO ALSO CONTINUES TO HOST ANNUAL SUMMER CAMPS FOCUSING ON EXPLORING THE CREATIVE PROCESS IN ART, DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE AND BEYOND. SHARING IDEAS, SPACE AND CREATIVE ENERGY IS WHAT KANEKO IS ALL ABOUT. IN ADDITION TO RUNNING OUR OWN INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS, KANEKO ALSO PARTNERS WITH OTHERS WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE CREATIVE CULTURE IN THE OMAHA-METRO AREA. EDUCATION IS IMPLICIT IN ALL KANKO PROGRAMS, WHICH ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BECOME ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE FABRIC OF KANEKO. WORKING WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, KANEKO OFFERS INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES AND HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS TO ENGAGE AND EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY WITH THE CREATIVE PROCESS.
ATRIUM
THE CONTINUED RENOVATION OF K ANEKO BEGINS WITH THE ADDITION OF THE STEEL AND GLASS ATRIUM ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE K ANEKO BUILDING. OUR NEW FRONT ENTRANCE—APPROXIMATELY ONE BLOCK LONG AND SPANNING FROM 11TH TO 12TH STREETS—IS SCHEDULED TO BREAK GROUND SOON. A BLACK AND WHITE GRANITE SIDEWALK INSTALLATION, DESIGNED BY JUN K ANEKO, WILL SURROUND THE K ANEKO CAMPUS, SETTING THE BUILDING APART FROM ANY BUILDING IN THE REGION AND CREATING A PLAZA-LIKE EFFECT ON JONES STREET. The welcoming aesthetic of the Atrium will be complemented by a new retail space showcasing program and mission-related merchandise, as well as providing administrative offices—enhancements that will promote and serve the mission of KANEKO well into the future.
THE COLLECTION BUILDING THE COLLECTION BUILDING WILL SIT SOUTH OF SPACE 1. ALSO DESIGNED BY MARK MACK, KANEKO’S NEW COLLECTION BUILDING WILL HOUSE THE CORE COLLECTION OF WORKS AND ARCHIVAL RECORDS BY JUN KANEKO, PROVIDING EXAMPLES OF NOTES, SKETCHBOOKS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND WORKS CHRONICLING HIS IMPORTANT AND VARIED CAREER. THIS BUILDING WILL ALSO HOUSE ANTIQUITIES AND OTHER WORKS BY INTERNATIONALLY RESPECTED ARTISTS IN THE KANEKO COLLECTION. THIS COLLECTION WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH AND STUDY IN KEEPING WITH KANEKO’S MISSION.
COLLECTION GALLERY STORAGE 1
PARKING GARAGE
Striking a balance between the historical fabric of the the Old Market and a world in a state of motion and change, the contemporary architectural design of Collection Building aims to to stand as a symbol of Jun Kaneko’s work in contrast to the existing brick buildings on the KANEKO campus. Rising from the black and white granite sidewalk installation that surrounds the KANEKO campus, the Collection Building will not only connect to the existing SPACE 1, but will also
allow for both indoor exhibition space and outdoor sculpture gardens for ever-changing exhibitions. The location of KANEKO, surrounded by downtown housing and cultural organizations, and the expansion of the KANEKO campus solidify the southeast corner of the Old Market and KANEKO as a center for creativity.
LEAVENWORTH STREET
RAMP DOWN TO PARKING
GALLERY A: 2,707 sq ft
PARKING GARAGE STORAGE
11TH STREET
A: 3,710 sq ft
LOBBY
A: 1,109 sq ft
RECIEVING
SPACE 4 A: 4,224 sq ft
A:9,200 sq ft
12TH STREET
KANEKO-UNO LIBRARY A: 3,446 sq ft
SPACE 1
SPACE 2 A: 2,191 sq ft
SPACE 3 A: 3,275 sq ft
F
W
M
A: 908 sq ft
EDUCATIONAL CATERING W OFFICES A: 908 sq ft
M
ATRIUM
JONES STREET
A
REMOVABLE PANELS FOR LOADING
A3
A2 RAMP UP TO STREET
RAMP UP
RAMP DOWN TO PARKING
1
RAMP UP
-7 REMOVABLE PANELS FOR LOADING
5
OPEN TO BELOW
ROOF DECK
OPEN TO BELOW
-6
+26'-0"
+6'-0"
4
SLOPED CONC. SLAB ON GRADE
STEEL STAIR WITH GLASS RAILING
GALLERY A: 2,707 sq ft +6'-0"
-5
STEEL STAIR WITH GLASS RAILING +4'-0"
+4'-0"
18
STEEL STAIR WITH GLASS RAILING
GALLERY A: 3,715 sq ft
ROOF DECK
+26'-0"
17
-4
GALLERY
4
A: 4,000 sq ft
STORAGE
+14'-0"
A: 3,710 sq ft
7
-3
17
SUB GRADE DRAINAGE SYSTEM WITH SUMP PUMP
+2'-0"
+2'-0"
STAIR OR RAMP
OPEN TO ABOVE
W
OPEN TO BELOW
M
EL
EVENTSPACE
-2 5
18
A: 2,246 sq ft
6
19
-1
+38'-0" LOADING GATE ROLL-UP DOOR
W
A
B
M
EL
B' LOBBY
1
A: 1,109 sq ft -2'-0"
W
M
EL
M E M B E R SH I P @ K A N EKO KANEKO is thrilled to announce that we have updated our membership program to include new and exciting opportunities for engagement! Under the new program, KANEKO members enjoy a full year of exhibitions and creative experiences, along with added benefits, discounts, and exclusive events. Support from our members plays a vital role in keeping programming at KANEKO accessible. To purchase a KANEKO membership, visit thekaneko.org/membership, email membership@thekaneko.org, or call 402.341.3800.
CORE
FRIENDS
C R E AT I V E C I R C L E
Student $30 Individual $60 Dual $100
Collaborator $250–$499 Facilitator $500–$999 Connector $1,000–$2,499
Patron $2,500 –$4,999 Benefactor $5,000–$9,999 Insider $10,000 +
All CORE benefits, plus: • Two membership cards • FRIENDS event invites • Two guest invites for MEMBER FIRST LOOK events • Annual report recognition • One program publication • Discounts & priority registration for camps and workshops
All FRIENDS benefits, plus: • CREATIVE CIRCLE event invites • Two complimentary tickets to the KANEKO Open Space Soirée • Additional program publications • Partner pricing for space rental (subject to rental policy) • Discounts & priority registration for signature events
• Personalized membership card • KANEKO-UNO Creative Library access & privileges • MEMBER FIRST LOOK invites • Discount on KANEKO merchandise (when available) • KANEKO newsletter • Tax deduction for amount above the cost of membership & benefits • Satisfaction in supporting creative programming for the community
VOLUNTEER WITH US
FOLLOW KANEKO
@KANEKO1111
KANEKO volunteers are muchappreciated members of our team. Schedules are flexible, including weekdays, evenings and weekends. If you would like to volunteer please contact info@thekaneko.org or call 402.341.3800.
We’re all over social media and we’d love to connect with you.
the_KANEKO theKANEKO KANEKO company/the-KANEKO theKANEKO
THANK YOU! Thanks to the Daugherty Foundation for providing operating support; and the Nebraska Arts Council, Sherwood Foundation, and Humanities Nebraska for supporting KANEKO programming.