( image above) at Enoura Observatory, 21 March 2024
2024 Year End Blog
Celebrating the joys and challenges of 2024, and wishing you the best for the year ahead!
Dear Friends, Family, and Fellow Travelers,
As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on a year filled with meaningful connections, transformative adventures, and serendipitous moments that brought joy and perspective. This year has been a journey—across continents, through history, and into our sense of purpose. We’re grateful for the people, places, and ideas that have enriched our lives along the way.
Here’s a look back at the moments that made 2024 so memorable.
Celebrating the Seasons in Texas at The Plant at Kyle
We welcomed 2024 at The Plant at Kyle, surrounded by friends. The warmth of that gathering set the tone for a year filled with creativity, community, and celebration. As an event space and vacation rental, we ourselves have limited access, but with reservations down this year, we took advantage of periodic visits for ourselves and hosting friends across the year. Highlights included the Total Solar Eclipse Celebration (see special section further below) and Thanksgiving with the extended Holzbach/Kevorkian families and other dear friends. Stewardship of The Plant, as well as our condo in Austin, and shared family cottage in Maine continues to be a cornerstone of our mission, which serve as sites of work and rejuvenation, as well as hubs for shared experiences.
Serendipity in the City and Country… meet-ups around the globe!
Whether traversing Japan, Italy, Iceland, Sweden, New England, or New York, we’ve learned to appreciate and expect encounters that bring joy and extend connections. Below are some meaningful encounters, some by chance, others orchestrated. What moments of serendipity have surprised and delighted you this year?
In Tokyo, a Facebook post alerted us to a restauranteur friend from Grand Rapids who was studying ramen-making. We met Paul Lee for a memorable meal at Tatsukichi in Shinjuku, one of our favorite restaurants, where we laughed, caught up, and shared a fantastic evening.
In April in Venice, at the Biennale vernissage, we were honored to attend special events for several exhibiting friends. Shahzia Sikander’s dramatic retrospective Collective Behavior filed Palazzo Van Axel and MIT Media Lab’s Tod Machover collaborated with Lee Bae on Sailing Through Fire. At the American, Japanese, and Canadian pavilions we reunited with colleagues and friends. Venice has a way of fostering serendipitous reunions, and this year was no exception.
In July in Southern Italy, while walking from the top of Monte Cervati to the town of Sanza, Mark and Astrid Meijer stopped for a drink of water and met fellow traveler Michele Curcio who offered us cookies. Within the first few minutes of conversation, we discovered that Mark and Michele are cousins!
As you know we love to travel…sometimes the destination is set by an event, other times for research, and often just for the pleasure of connecting with friends… so we’re included snapshots documenting reunions with other friends who crossed our paths coming or going through Tokyo, Paris, Nepal, Vermont, Los Angeles, and San Antonio…
Family and Heritage
Our families are important to us, not only closest relatives, but also extended familes near and far.
Mark’s genealogical research and “roots travel” have deepened and broadened the Cozza/Curcio realm both back in Italy and in the US, Canada, and Sweden.. In May, Mark visited his Italian-Canadian Lavoratore cousins in Montreal for the first time. Connected by shared ancestry in Rovito, Calabria, they welcomed us with warmth and enthusiasm, sharing family stories, delicious Southern Italian meals, and laughter. It was a joy to deepen our connection to this branch of the family and learn more about our shared roots.
In Brooklyn, Mark also spent time with his cousins Antonio Curio and his son, Sabino, and daughter Michela, at Antonio’s panini shop. Antonio was born in Sanza and immigrated to the US. He and his wife and children and grandchildren continue to champion the “Madonna della Neve” traditions, preserving a strong cultural bridge between Brooklyn and Sanza. Another mutual cousin, Lloyd Leaverton, now lives in Brooklyn and it was my pleasure to introduce him to Antonio.
In Stockholm, Mark reconnected with his cousin Daniel Aromí Leaverton (Lloyd’s brother), who grew up in Barcelona (as did Lloyd), and has now made Stockholm his home. Spending time with Daniel brought a new appreciation for our family’s global ties and the vibrant life Daniel has created in Sweden.
We traveled to Portland, Maine several times this year to spend time with Nancy, Dana’s stepmother and Sandy, his sister, and her family, and our Johnston cousins, and spend time at the shared family summer cottage. Below are snapshots from some of our gatherings in Maine, including Nancy’s birthday (102 years young) Sandy’s birthday (60), and her husband Ted Halverson’s birthday (never mind!) as well as Christmas Dinner with the extended Halverson/Lilienthal Family.
In June, Nancy’s service as an Army nurse during and after WWII was highlighted in a wonderful article in the Portland Press Herald. In December, Nancy entered long-term care at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough, and was welcomed with a ceremony honoring her service to our country.
We pause, too, to remember and honor family and friends we lost this year: Mark’s father, Tom Holzbach; his cousin, Mary Ferrell Cavallo; and dear friends David Berman, Wendy Marty, James Magee, and Tonya Porter. Their legacies live on in the memories we cherish.
Mark’s father, Raymond Thomas Holzbach, MD (1929-2024)
Journeys of a Lifetime
Our year was FILLED with travel around the world…leading Tiny World Tours, attending art and cultural events, visiting friends and family; and doing research for FUTURE travel! We are excited to share some of the highlights!
Our travels this year also included:
• Through Artists’ Eyes Japan: In March, we led a Tiny World Tour that took art lovers to Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, Kyoto, and the Enoura Observatory (by artist Hiroshi Sugimoto). It was one of our best tours yet, filled with laughter, inspiration, and the beauty of Japanese culture. The 2025 version of this trip is full, but if you are interested, take a look at Through Artists’ Eyes Spring 2026 on the Tiny World Tours website.
• Paris and Angers with the Austin Film Society: In April, we led a Tiny World Tour to Paris and Angers for the Austin Film Society, immersing participants in the rich history and artistry of French cinema and culture. Highlights included exclusive film screenings, behind-the-scenes tours, and unforgettable meals shared in some of France’s most charming settings.
• Stockholm and “Love and Chaos”: Mark attended Doug Fitch’s Opera, Love and Chaos at Drottningholm Palace Theater, an 18th-century gem. A backstage tour of this historic venue added to the magic. Everyone was surprised when our dear friend Chef Steve Couch (aka Mr. Eat Right) swung by on a scooter while the group was exploring the Moderna Museet’s park. Tracking Mark’s cell phone, (boundary-less / borderless) Steve knew exactly where in the world to find us. We had just celebrated the April eclipse together in Texas and had no idea Steve was planning to meet us in Sweden! Steve then went on to join us in Iceland!
• Into the Heart of Iceland: Siglufjörður and Beyond: In June, Mark traveled to Iceland for the Intoo Art Festival in Siglufjörður, where Tommy Nguyen performed alongside an inspiring group of international artists. After the festival, Mark and Tommy circumnavigated the country, exploring breathtaking landscapes, visiting remote Kcymaerxthaere monuments, and creating lasting memories with new and old friends, including the intrepid Denise and Mike Reiss and the peripatetic Steve Couch.
Inspired by Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, Mark explored two of the novel’s key locations one month apart: Snæfellsjökull volcano in Iceland and Stromboli Island in Italy. Witnessing these breathtaking landscapes brought a sense of wonder and a deeper appreciation for the natural world’s power and beauty, and of Verne’s imagination
Italy’s Treasures: Our summer expedition to Italy was multi-faceted, including time in Sanza to experience the Madonna della Neve festival and time with relatives; deeper exploration of the nature and culture of South Italy with our guide Astrid Meijer; visiting expat friends in Florence, Lucca, and Perugia; art experiences in Florence, Rome, and Niki de St. Phalle’s fantastical Tarot Sculpture Garden. We enjoyed leading another Cozza Family Tour, with special experiences in Naples, along the coast, and in the Cilento region.
· Japan Regional Reconnaissance In the fall, we took time to diver deeper into Japanese regional culture and into pristine and remote landscapes.. We engaged our favorite Japanese guide, Masa Fujiwara for a week-long journey to sacred natural and cultural sites with a focus on Shinto pilgrimage destinations including the Kumokodo and Ise Shrine. Another expedition took us to the southern prefecture of Kyushu, where we visited our Texas friends Yukiko and Robert Lunday at their valley home in the town of Yamaga, Kumamoto. We also visited Fukuoka, reconnecting with colleagues at the Contemporary Asian Art Museum. We flew north across the archipelago to Hokkaido where we met with experts on the ancient Joman culture as well as artists and representatives of the native Ainu peoples. (check out our Tiny World Tour, Ancient to Contemporary: Cultures of Northern Japan, October 5-16, 2025)
What places are calling to you for your next adventure?
Dana continues moving to a new mode of cultural work
Over the past year, Dana has continued his journey from CEO at Grand Rapids Art Museum (July 2011 to February 2023) to developing a practice in collaborative work with artists, museums, and communities, including developing deeper connections in Japan. His vision for an open, flexible “cultural projects studio” includes research, curating, writing, museum consulting, along with developing and leading itineraries for Tiny World Tours. He’s been active attending varied cultural events, including Tokyo Art Fair, Aomori Gokan Fest Press Launch, Yokohama Triennale Press Preview, EXPO Chicago, La Biennale de Venezia Vernissage, Artists Fair Kyoto, and Art Week Tokyo, among others.
Project highlights include research for the Mystic Seaport Museum to travel Alexis Rockman: Oceanus exhibition to Japan; an essay for the Devos Museum /NMU’s exhibition, Across Time and Place: Liz Ward and Robert Ziebell; and a text for the book, Day by Day: Drawings by Denny McCoy. Dana also gave several public presentations in Austin, including Japan Through Artists’s Eyes at SAGE UT Austin (with Mark) ; Beverly Penn: Foregrounding Conversation at Women and Their Work; and a Perspectives Tour on the exhibition Carl Cheng: Nature Always Wins at The Contemporary Austin/Jones Center.
Total Solar Eclipse Celebration at The Plant
On April 8, 2024, we hosted a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the Total Solar Eclipse at The Plant at Kyle with about 100 co-creating participants. This Tiny World Tour event was a joyous blend of science, art, and community, bringing together friends, family, and eclipse enthusiasts for an unforgettable day.
Finding Joy in the Everyday
Not all highlights required crossing oceans.
In Austin, we usually start each day with a bike ride from our downtown condo on the Hike and Bike Trail to Barton Springs, a freshwater spring open year round. We are still getting settled since 2022 move, so each time we return from a trip, we aim to open more boxes, organize files and records, and hang more of our art collection…while keeping up with emails, promoting The Plant and Tiny World Tours, and… planning our next roadtrip. We enjoy re-connecting with friends in and around the city, and attending arts events.
Last summer, we spent a month at Dana’s family cottage on Little Diamond Island, Maine. We enjoyed being close to family and friends, time to read, write, and study Japanese, and visiting our Mainer friends…and escape from the Texas heat! The porch became a welcoming, ergonomic “pop-up office”with two new Herman Miller Cosm chairs and a folding table from Costco. Our time there was a perfect blend of work, relaxation, and continued connection with family and friends.
Even in Japan we have our favorite routines. When not leading or researching a tour, our base is in Tokyo, and we’ve stayed in Airbnb apartmentss and friends’ homes in a variety of neighborhoods, becoming familiar with different parts of the city over the past two years. To support our need for reliable working habits, we have joined the CIC Tokyo workspace in the Toronomon Hills Business Tower, founded by our friend Tim Rowe, a great environment with many amenities and an internationl entrepreneurial community. On weekends we enjoy visiting all types of museums, exploring the restaurant scene, seeing Japanese friends, and welcoming visitors to Tokyo.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we plan for the year ahead, we’re excited to lead Tiny World Tours in Mexico, Japan (spring and fall), and Italy. We’re also highlighting Bhutan tours, led by our wonderful collaborators and co-creators, who bring deep cultural knowledge and a love of the region to each experience.
A major milestone awaits us in June 2025 when Mark’s Italian Citizenship project is expected to conclude successfully in a court in Potenza. This moment will grant Italian dual citizenship to Mark and 52 of his close relatives—a legacy of connection to our ancestral roots.
We are also embarking on a significant strategic planning project for the future of The Plant at Kyle, envisioning its continued growth as a hub for creativity, community, and sustainability.
In October, we’re planning to attend the MIT Media Lab’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. Returning to the Lab will be an opportunity to reflect on the innovative spirit that shaped so much of our lives and to reconnect with friends and collaborators.
What dreams and goals are you envisioning for the year ahead? Let us know—we’d love to hear from you.
With Gratitude
Thank you for being part of our journey. Whether we’ve shared a meal, a conversation, or an adventure, your presence has enriched our lives. Here’s to a 2025 filled with connection, creativity, and discovery.
With love and appreciation,
Mark & Dana
Here’s to the adventures ahead!
Please write and tell us how YOU are doing since we last connected!
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Let’s Stay in Touch!
In case you don’t have it handy, here’s our contact info:
Mark Holzbach & Dana Friis-Hansen
NEW Mailing address (a mail forwarding service): 2028 E Ben White Blvd #240-8188, Austin, Texas 78741-6931, USA
Mark’s personal email: mholzbach@alum.mit.edu
Dana’s personal email: danafh@gmail.com
Mark’s personal cell for voice & text: 512-689-6777
Dana’s personal cell for voice & text: 512-653-8188
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If you are interested to see what we published on our recent past year end blogs, please check the links below:
Mark & Dana’s 2023 Year End Blog (December 2023)
Mark & Dana’s 2022 Year End Blog (December 2022)
Mark & Dana’s 2021 Year End Blog (December 2021)
Mark & Dana’s 2020 Year End Blog (December 2020)
Mark and Dana’s COVID Pandemic Reach-Out Blog (April 2020)
