В Норфолке открылась выставка редких артефактов из коллекции Билла Эмрича

ITEMS FROM the collection of Native American and Western artifacts belonging to Bill and the late Sharon Emrich are on exhibit at the Norfolk Arts Center. Included in the collection are these rifles, bronze sculpture and wood carving. Watching Western films with his grandfather when he was a child helped Bill Emrich of Norfolk develop a fascination with antique firearms as well as Indigenous and Western art. Now, years later, some of the weavings, pottery, jewelry and firearms he and his late wife, Sharon, collected are on exhibit at the Norfolk Arts Center. When he was young, Emrich spent time on his grandparents’ farm southwest of Tilden, land that was homesteaded by his great-grandparents and is still in the Eickhoff family. Emrich said his grandfather, William Eickhoff, often took him to “cowboy movies” and read cowboy and Native American stories to him. Later, Emrich taught science at a school in Bellevue, where, in 1969, he was named Nebraska’s “outstanding biology teacher.” He went on to attend graduate school at Arizona State, where his appreciation for Native American and Western art grew. He “has harbored a lifelong fascination with antique firearms and Indigenous art, a passion that began in his youth when he acquired his first piece: A ceremonial Sioux tomahawk reportedly obtained by his family through trade,” said Emrich’s daughter, Renee McClymont. Emrich eventually moved back to Norfolk to work for his father, the late Cecil Emrich, at Coe Cattle Co., a family-owned and operated business that began in 1971 and is still operated by the family. In 1998, the Emrichs, moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, which allowed them to immerse themselves in the region’s rich heritage, McClymont added. “This relocation transformed his hobby of collecting weavings, pottery and jewelry into a lifelong pursuit,” she said. “Throughout his travels, Bill has cherished the opportunity to visit reservations, engage directly with Indigenous artists and document their work through photography.” Today, the collection includes a saddle and pair of boots made specifically for Emrich, a Civil War-era, lever-action Henry rifle; a commemorative Husker rifle, several pistols, one of which belonged to Hank Williams Jr. and is engraved with brands of ranches in Nebraska; a single-action Colt dating back to 1886, a bronze sculpture of a Native American; a feather carved from wood; a Sioux “carrying basket” and much more. “It’s an eclectic mix,” said Clare Orwig, president of the arts center’s board of directors. The exhibit will be open through Saturday, Aug. 22. The arts center’s hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The address is 305 N. Fifth St.