Farmer Finds at BECAH
BROWNVILLE - Every time Clarissa Weitzel digs into the flat files of artist Bill Farmer at The Antiquarium in Brownville, Neb., she finds a new treasure. She recently unearthed one of Farmer’s first sketchbooks, which dates back to 1947 (pictured below). Some of its pages contain actual grades from one of Farmer’s art teachers or professors.
Weitzel, a 2025 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the first intern at the Brownville Education Center for the Arts and Humanities (BECAH), is inventorying BECAH’s collection of Farmer art. She began her part-time duties in July.
When BECAH acquired the Brownville building housing the former Antiquarium Bookstore and its contents in 2021, it included a sizeable collection of Farmer’s paintings, sketches and other works in addition to its more than 25,000 books, manuscripts and images.
Once the Farmer art inventory has been completed, the collection will be valued, then sales of the work will begin. All sales will benefit BECAH, a 501c3 nonprofit. For more information, call 402.681.1901 or email BECAHinfo@gmail.com.
Pictured are Clarissa Weitzel and BECAH Co-Founder Dale Dickkut at work in the Bill Farmer art room at The Antiquarium.
Work from one of Bill Farmer’s first sketchbooks.
Work from one of Bill Farmer’s sketchbooks.