ROCK SPRINGS — A new exhibit of paintings by Elmer Sterling Edwards is on display in the gallery at White Mountain Library through the end of December.
The 30 paintings and Edwards’ story are an example of how the arts play an important role in our lives.
Edwards has been a Rock Springs resident for three years and has created many paintings in that time. His subject matter includes landscapes, animals and portraits with a western life theme. While most of his paintings are on canvas, he sometimes paints on found objects, such as the carved backs of wooden chairs and old handsaws.
Edwards was born November 16, 1937 in Newport, Kentucky, which at the time was known as the Sin City of the South.  His mother worked in a shirt factory, and his father was “a steel worker, gambler, and drunk,” according to Edwards. He grew up with two brothers who are now both deceased.  As a youth, Edward’s favorite past time was swimming across the Ohio River. He did not enjoy going to school, so he dropped out during the seventh grade.
Edward’s first run-in with the law occurred when he was 19 years old. He was convicted and sentenced to prison for burglary. Upon release, Edwards found it challenging to remain on the outside so he spent most of his adult life incarcerated for one offense or another.
While in prison at age 24, Edwards met another inmate who introduced him to the basics of painting. He hid his paintings under his cell bunk so the other inmates would not laugh at him and his paintings. Later he met a counseling nun who became impressed with his paintings. Edwards donated many of his paintings to the nun’s parish where they were auctioned to raise funds to purchase sporting equipment for many underprivileged children.
In 2017, Edwards was offered a place to live by Saundra Martin and her son Spencer in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Edwards has continued to spend his time painting. Recently he was released from parole after spending much of his adult life in the penal system.
The Exhibits Committee of the Library System meets throughout the year to review applications and schedule exhibits. Artists interested in displaying their work are encouraged to submit an application for an individual exhibit. Application packets are available at any county library circulation desk and at the Community Fine Arts Center.
The Exhibits Committee is made up of community members Angie Bennett, Deon Quitberg and Donna Ragsdale, all from Green River, and library system members Michelle Krmpotich, Lindsey Travis, and Debora Soule.
For more information about the exhibits and other library events, visit the Library System web page http://www.sweetwaterlibraries.com or on Facebook www.facebook.com/sweetlibraries. Questions can be directed to Soule at the Community Fine Arts Center in Rock Springs.
