A lively art collection at home

(Publisher's note: the following column was written for our annual 'Things We Love' section.)

It's hard to believe one of the best art collections in the Western United States actually exists in our backyard. Yet, it's true and is easily viewable at its home in Rock Springs.

The Community Fine Arts Center in Rock Springs displays hundreds of pieces owned by Sweetwater County School District No. 1. Both the collection and the CFAC itself owe their existence to a man and his desire to share his appreciation for art.

The school district's collection dates back to 1939 when a science teacher at Rock Springs High School, Elmer Halseth, decided to purchase a set of paintings, prints and drawings for the RSHS students to enjoy. Halseth would travel throughout the United States purchasing artwork that would later be donated to the school. The money was raised through fundraisers and donation jars, every coin collected going into an art fund.

The first painting purchased by Halseth was "Shack Alley" by Henrietta Wood. The collection would later contain works from Grandma Moses, Norman Rockwell and other well-known artists. Local artists are represented as well and includes work from high school students.

Halseth was capable of creating a collection of more than 500 pieces of American artwork and was called "one of the best collections of contemporary art in the Rockies" by Time Magazine in 1952.

According to the CFAC website, the collection continues to grow through purchases and donations.

Halseth would later become the CFAC's first director when it was established in 1966 and Halseth would later become a Wyoming State Representative.

He continued to support the CFAC until his death in 1991.

The CFAC has also been the source of controversy, especially when it displayed "The Worldly Chapel," a painting by local artist Darryl Newton. The work was originally donated in 1978 and caused quite a stir within the community when first displayed.

The work is a representation of the illicit nature of Rock Springs in the 1970s, when the area was dealing with the major economic boom that came with the construction of the Jim Bridger Power Plant and nearby coal mine. With that sudden wealth came much more unsavory elements, including an influx of criminal activity.

While the painting was initially frowned upon by patrons, it has since become one of the well-regarded pieces of the collection and later a fundraising tool for the CFAC when prints of "The Worldly Chapel" were sold during the center's 50th anniversary in 2016.

While the collection is the heart of the CFAC, it's mission has grown beyond management and growth and now encompasses the promotion of art to the county's residents.

The CFAC regularly hosts traveling exhibits and classes. Currently, it is host to the yearly youth art exhibit, taking place Through May 2021. A watercolor exhibit, "Scotch and Watercolor Society: Variations on a Theme" focuses on artists from Casper is scheduled to begin June 2, while an exhibit focusing on the work of Maurice Sendak, the author of "Where the Wild Things Are," is scheduled for 2022.

"We're a huge anchor for the community," CFAC Board Member RJ Pieper, said.

Pieper said the global pandemic has given people an increased appreciation for the arts, regardless of if they enjoy works presented through the internet, television or radio or create themselves.

In order to capitalize on this, he said the CFAC has partnered with other organizations, including the Sweetwater County Concert Association and the Rock Springs Urban Renewal Agency to promote the arts locally through an initiative challenging residents to attend at least one art event a month.

Pieper also said the CFAC has established a scholarship for local high school students seeking to continue their arts education in college. He said it was privately matched to create a $1,000 scholarship for students.

A simple painting bought in 1939 has created an immerse collection of art available to the community through a partnership between the City of Rock Springs, Sweetwater County Library System and Sweetwater County School District No 1, but has also resulted in an organization committed to bringing art, regardless of its medium, to the residents of Sweetwater County.