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This Holzrichter creation represents the moon, with aluminum foil indents for the craters.
Elmer Holzrichter made this dangling creation from toilet paper rolls dressed up with colorful aluminum wrapping paper.
Elmer Holzrichter's art includes woven pieces like this one made from sisal.
These dioramas are made from empty pill and aspirin bottles.
Elmer Holzrichter was a mixed-media artist who created larger-than-life masks, too.
This creative piece is made from small pieces of heavy cardboard designed in an artistic pattern.
KEARNEY — Empty toilet paper rolls, aluminum foil and empty aspirin bottles aren’t considered art objects.
But the late Elmer Holzrichter, who taught art at Kearney State College for 25 years, recycled everyday items like that to create artistic masterpieces.
More than 40 of his works will be sold at auction at Elmer Holzrichter’s Art, a gala celebration set for 7 p.m. Friday at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 24th Street and Second Avenue.
The reception will include wine, cheese and chocolate as well as coffee and soft drinks. Admission is free. Artwork will range from tapestries to paintings to sculpture. Prices for each piece begin at $100.
Holzrichter’s son, Eric Holzrichter, will speak Friday evening, as will Colleen Lewis, the administrative associate to the dean of the Calvin T. Ryan Library at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
“It’s all my fault,” Lewis joked when asked about the collection. She’s also a deacon at the church.
In July 2021, Eric Holzrichter visited the library and told Lewis he wanted to donate some of his father’s works to the UNK Archives. Lewis learned that Eric was “looking for good homes for these pieces.”
Lewis also knew that St. Luke’s Church would soon hold a yard sale in Harmon Park to raise money for a church elevator. She suggested that Eric donate some of the works to the church for that cause. That’s exactly what he did.
In February 2022, Eric donated another 25 works to the St. Luke’s collection. The donations “provide a cross-section of Elmer Holzrichter’s career as an artist and provide a range of styles and media he employed, from the very earliest works to those he created later in life,” Lewis said.
Elmer Holzrichter was born in Harvey County, Kansas, on Dec. 18, 1924. A teacher at his country school recognized his artistic gifts and told him he should become an artist. He earned a bachelor of fine arts and a master’s degree from Wichita State University.
He began his career as an art teacher at secondary schools, and then he taught at Kearney State College from 1963-88. He died in June 2016 at the age of 94.
After his death, one of his former students wrote, “You were one of my best professors, and you taught me so much over the years about art and gentleness. Your personal work left me astounded. You left me kinder, more hopeful, and a better person. Thank you for being here for so many in such a heroic way.”
Lewis is equally impressed. “Elmer’s work never ceases to inspire me. The more I learn about the materials he used and how he used them, the more amazed I become. It is my hope that when other people see his artwork and hear the stories of how he created them, they will also become awed and inspired by his work.”
Auctioneer will be Francis Roberts. The appraised value of each piece will be displayed, but prices for the sale will be “drastically reduced,” Charles Peek, who’s overseeing the Friday event, said. Dress is casual.
“It will be a fun evening,” Peek said.
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This Holzrichter creation represents the moon, with aluminum foil indents for the craters.
Elmer Holzrichter made this dangling creation from toilet paper rolls dressed up with colorful aluminum wrapping paper.
Elmer Holzrichter's art includes woven pieces like this one made from sisal.
These dioramas are made from empty pill and aspirin bottles.
Elmer Holzrichter was a mixed-media artist who created larger-than-life masks, too.
This creative piece is made from small pieces of heavy cardboard designed in an artistic pattern.
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