Early life
Kaneko, born in Omaha,Career
Kaneko was a studio artist for 11 years and served as founder and director of Ree Schonlau Gallery in Omaha from 1971 to 1984. She founded the Craftsmen’s Guild and Omaha Brickworks, both of which offered workshops and art classes. She founded Alternative Worksite, an Artist-in-Industry program, in 1981. All of these arts organizations Kaneko ran were based in Old Market, rented spaces from the Mercer family of Omaha. At the time, Omaha was not regarded as a center for visual arts.Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
In 1986, the Alternative Worksite, an Artist-in-Industry program, became Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. The Bemis is a nonprofit arts organization that includes galleries and a competitive residency program for artists. The Bemis was a collaboration between Kaneko, her sculptor husbandKANEKO
In 1998, the Kanekos opened a non-profit organization called KANEKO: Open Space for Your Mind, to support and promote creativity. An old downtown Omaha Plymouth dealership was purchased and renovated to use as art storage space as well as a nonprofit center for creative studies. KANEKO now encompasses three turn-of-the-century warehouses in the Old Market District of Omaha. Kaneko was instrumental in curating the first exhibit celebrating Omaha designer's Cedric Hartman’s career at KANKEO in 2014.Awards and honors
* 1991: Kaneko received UNO's Distinguished Alumna Award * 2012: Kaneko and her husband were honored by the Omaha Business Hall of Fame * 2020: Kaneko and her husband received a Lifetime Achievement Award by Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards (OEAAs)Personal life
Kaneko is married to sculptorWorks or publications
* Schonlau, Ree. ''Earthcooks.'' Omaha, Neb: Craftsmen Gallery, 1982. ** Includes photo documentation of a functional pottery cookware exhibit, photos of the artists, and favorite recipes of the artists held at the Craftsmen's Gallery, Omaha, Nebraska. Introduction by Ree Schonlau * Hepburn, Tony, 1942-, Jun Kaneko, Faye, 1950- Munroe, Ree Schonlau, and Lorne Falk. ''Convergent Territories: The Gallery As Artist's Studio : Tony Hepburn, Jun Kaneko, Faye Munroe : Walter Phillips Gallery, the Banff School of Fine Arts, Banff, Alberta, October 19-November 7, 1982.'' Banff, Alta: Walter Phillips Gallery, 1982. ** Catalogue of an exhibition; essays, Ree Schonlau and Lorne Falk. * Kaneko, Jun. ''Ceramics by Jun Kaneko.'' Omaha, NE: Ree Schonlau Gallery, 1983. ** 20 ceramic constructions made by Jun Kaneko between 1971 and 1983; list includes title, size, date of construction for each work. * Schonlau, Ree, and Patrick Siler. ''Chicago Vicinity Clay VI: A Juried Exhibition Open to Artists Residing Within 280 Miles of Chicago.'' Chicago, Ill: Lill Street Gallery, 1987. ** Catalog of an exhibition held at Lill Street Gallery, June 26-Aug. 23, 1987 and at the State of Illinois Art Gallery, July 20-Sep. 11, 1987. Jurors, Ree Schonlau, Patrick Siler. * Schonlau, Ree, and Steve Joy. ''Working Space: Selections from the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts : xhibitionMay 2-June 28, 1998.'' Omaha, Neb: Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 1998. ** Catalog of an exhibition held at the Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, Iowa; Text (p. 2) by Ree Schonlau and Steve Joy. * Schlanger, Jeff, and Ree Schonlau Kaneko. ''Jeff Schlanger: xhibitionMarch 17-April 23, 2005.'' New York, N.Y.: CUE Art Foundation, 2005. ** Exhibition catalog; curated by Ree Schonlau Kaneko.See also
*References
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