Bill Farmer Exhibition Opens Aug. 7, Proceeds to Benefit The Antiquarium

OMAHA - Ming Toy Gallery, in partnership with the Brownville Education Center for Arts and Humanities (BECAH), is pleased to host “Unearthed: A First Look at The Antiquarium’s Bill Farmer Collection” during the month of August. The opening reception is Friday, Aug. 7, from 6:00 to 9:00pm at 6066 Maple Street in the Benson neighborhood of Omaha (we are right between Au Courant & Legend Comics and Coffee).

This exhibition is the first public activity of The Bill Farmer Project, which is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Farmer and facilitating the inventory, valuation and sale of his work to benefit BECAH, a Brownville (NE) nonprofit. All sales proceeds will benefit The Antiquarium.

BECAH acquired the building housing The Antiquarium in Brownville and its contents in 2021, which included a sizeable collection of Farmer’s paintings, sketches and other works in addition to its more than 25,000 books, manuscripts and images. The late Tom Rudloff and his late sister, Judy, founded the iconic used bookstore in downtown Omaha, Neb., in 1969. Rudloff moved The Antiquarium to an empty schoolhouse in Brownville in 2006. He passed away in 2016 at age 76.

The exhibition, which will occupy both levels of Ming Toy Gallery, will showcase works from various periods in Farmer’s prolific career. His gallery occupied the third floor of The Antiquarium in downtown Omaha throughout the institution’s storied history.

"Unearthed" runs through Aug. 29 at Ming Toy. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday and Friday from 1:00 to 6:00pm, Thursday from 3:00 to 8:00pm, Saturday from 10:00am to 1:00pm and by appointment (call or text 402.681.1901).

Untitled | Bill Farmer