A week ago last Tuesday early L. finally received the day’s itinerary from the KANEKO which, given the heat, the fact that we were just getting up and an appointment of  Stephan Grot’s

was running late, we immediately began rearranging; the proposed early afternoon [which promised to be in the high humid nineties] tour of the newly reopened Gene Leahy Mall was moved to [relatively] first thing that morning or as soon as we could find breakfast. Forgoing the grab ‘n’ go in the lobby [whatever happened to hotel coffee shops?] we solicited suggestions

from Stephan but unfortunately the closest option, a shaded block away, was closed,

necessitating a sunny hatless walk across the Mall to Lulu B’s, publike but adequate.  After eggs, not so great hash browns and a return to the room for hats we met Katie from the Parks Commission* for a tour of “Omaha’s Central Park”,

our final destination being the NW corner to see

how “Helios” was faring

among the Hunky Pioneers as morning temps escalated unseasonably.

Soon afterwards Stephan picked us up, intros all around as we piled into his Honda to head uphill to Jun’s studio, one room currently given over to a sleepercab semi with 53′ trailer

loading for a show in Portland.  While waiting for a tour we chatted with Stephan, with whom Linda will be working over the next year for a major show at the KANEKO, hearing many stories.

One fun one involved the Kanekos surprising friends on their anniversary with a sushi chef flown in from LA and installed in the kiln shown below to prepare them an intimate dinner…in the kiln! People in Nebraska definitely know how to…celebrate.

We were joined by Alexander, a ceramic artist visiting from the UK and shortly thereafter, along with some studio assistants, Jun and Ree themselves to show us some of the vast selection of

his works they are assembling for the museum to be built behind the foundation’s building downtown as well as a generally mind-boggling array of works in progress, works completed

and other evidences of lives lived fully. The semi having departed we separated; Alexander for  more studio and storage tours across the street while we went down the hill to pick up Jax, the  Foundation’s new Creative Director and, eager to be off our concrete-battered feet, lunch out of the heat [all these big buildings were quite comfortably if mysteriously cool** but the floors very solid] at Le Bouíllon, owned by a friend of Stephan’s and inexplicably, given lunch’s deliciousness, deserted.  Very cool, quiet and convenient for conversation however, after which

we adjourned to the KANEKO to meet staff, take an extensive tour and sit down for an initial planning session, the gist being any and all spaces would be available and anything’s possible.

…dauntingly enticing.  Latish afternoon

Stephan dropped us at the hotel to relax, relapse and prepare for an early dinner

in the old market district at la buvette with him, his wife Morgan and an equally fun friend and neighbor named Karen wherein plentiful food, talk of education and copious amounts of wine were most enjoyably consumed prior to inspecting Helios’ and the Pioneers’ night lighting.

Next morning, happily cooler, we made it up the shady side of the street to the Kitchen Table for a breakfast of quite superior eggs, a Real Tomato and fine coffee before checking out

and driving three blocks to park behind the KANEKO for a morning soaking, in L’s case, up the spaces as well as meeting more of the “team”: installers, publicist and Charles Kay, Jr., the artist working on an ambitious show before lunch up the street at M’s Pub, the temperature perfect for outside dining. We then made a last visit to the galleries for last looks around and a walk through Charles’ nearly completed immersive environment just as Alexander,

the aforementioned UK ceramicist showed up right on time for a ride to Lincoln in spits of rain

where we parked him in the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott while we checked in and cleaned up for a tour with Robert Duncan of his sculpture park which began by his piling us all into the “truck”*** to see the collection outdoors, including, in addition to the [not shown]

Linda Flemings and a Jennifer Bartlett, their recently acquired Subodh Gupta tree,

a giant David Ireland chair,

Dennis Oppenheim’s “Device to Root Out Evil” with a George Neubert in the foreground and

much much more. In the house we were greeted by Karen Duncan, and shown, among many

other things, their Anslem Kiefer, one of several Jun Kanekos [a Hung Liu beyond],

Nikki de Saint Phalle’s “The Bride” and, as aforesaid, much much more.  Following a beautiful sitdown dinner for sixteen in Linda’s honor with many many tales told about the art and other adventures Karen movingly played a Josef Suk piano piece in the atrium after which people wandered off into the night; Alexander back to Omaha with Ree and Jun to catch an early flight

to London and we to our hotel for a little local Lincoln TV before sleep on a lightly raining night…quite a visitation.

*Or some such…a public/private partnership having overseen the renovation and management of the facilities…with more coming along the riverfront.

**Note the stainless steel ducting for AC in every vast space, silent but effective.

***An immaculately Land Rover Discovery of recent vintage with of course every option.