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400 13th Street North
Great Falls, Montana
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The mission of the C.M. Russell Museum is to collect, preserve, research and interpret the art and life of Charles M. Russell; the art and life of his contemporaries; and the art of preceding and ensuing generations that depict and focus on the culture, life and country of Russell's West.
“To have talent is no credit to its owner; any man that can make a living doing what he likes is lucky, and I’m that. Any time I cash in now, I win.”
Charles M. Russell (1864-1926) died shortly after writing the above, but
still more than 75 years after his death, it is almost impossible to resist the
charm and wit of the man appropriately dubbed “America’s Cowboy Artist.”
The C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana strives to keep alive the spirit
of Charlie Russell and era of the West through its permanent collection. The
Museum introduces visitors to the Old West and interprets that period of
American history. The permanent collection of works, our galleries and
exhibits are designed to help develop an understanding, gain an appreciation or
learn a new insight for discovering what the West was really like.
C.M. Russell Museum is a living museum for a legendary man. Russell completed approximately 4,000 works of art during his lifetime and the C.M. Russell Museum owns the most complete collection of his works and memorabilia in the world. The Museum houses the permanent collection and changing exhibits.
Russell's Log Cabin Studio, built in 1903, is adjacent to Russell's home. Made of telephone poles, the studio is filled with authentic cowboy gear and Indian artifacts that Russell referenced as he painted or sculpted. Charlie said to his friend and neighbor A.J. Trigg, "That's going to be a good shack for me. The bunch can come visit, talk and smoke, while I paint." It is said he never finished a painting anywhere else. C.M. Russell's home is the white frame house of Charles Marion and Nancy Cooper Russell built in 1900. In its time, it was located in the most fashionable district of Great Falls, Montana. A lovely two-story structure, the home and Russell's Log Cabin Studio are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This designation took place in 1966. C.M. Russell died on October 26, 1926 in an upstairs bedroom of this home.
The Museum Shop features unique Museum quality gifts and collectibles -- not your typical "shopping mall" items. The Shop offers a large mail order catalog and can ship items anywhere in the world. The shop also sells the largest selection of Russell prints in the world.
The Museum’s permanent collection consists of Russell’s original artworks, the home of Charlie and Nancy Russell (built in 1900), and Charlie’s log studio (built in 1903) where he created his artworks. Both the home and the studio are a Designated National Historic Landmark. The C.M. Russell Museum owns the world’s most complete collection of Russell works and personal objects. The Museum also has works in its collection by other world renowned artists such as O.C. Seltzer, Joseph Henry Sharp, E.I. Couse, Winold Reiss, E.E. Heikka, Olaf Wieghorst and Edward Curtis. The Museum is home to a Browning Firearms Collection, a fine representation of some of the world’s best firearms; and a Wagons in Miniature collection of 69 miniature wagons.
The C.M. Russell Museum recently completed an expansion entitled Trails to the Future. The campaign was announced in March of 1998 and an addition of 30,000 square feet was added to the existing 46,000 square foot Museum structure. The expansion allows the Museum to present a more complete picture of Russell’s life and art, as well as new aspects of the West. The expanded facility includes ten new galleries, including a hands-on gallery for children and families, photography gallery, and a gallery displaying the work of living artists. The Museum has a larger gift shop as well as an outdoor sculpture garden.
The gallery space devoted to C.M. Russell doubled in size from approximately 5,653 to 10,610 square feet. This larger area allows the Museum to show more of Russell’s work and artifacts, which tell the fascinating story of his legacy while providing a greater understanding of Russell both personally and artistically. Together with the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, the Ulm Pishkun Interpretive Center, Giant Springs Heritage State Park, as well as Great Falls six other attractions, Great Falls is truly becoming a center of Montana’s cultural history.
C.M. Russell Museum Collections Data
Russell artworks
& objects in Museum’s permanent and loan
collections...................12,050
Russell paintings in permanent
collection
......................................................................193
Russell
paintings on loan
................................................................................................82
Russell
sculpture in permanent collection
......................................................................246
Russell
sculpture on
loan.................................................................................................43
Russell
drawings in permanent
collection.......................................................................390
Russell
drawing on
loan....................................................................................................9
Russell
illustrated letters, poems, cards in permanent
collection........................................54
Russell
illustrated letters, poems, cards on
loan................................................................11
Russell
related items in the Studio
collection................................................................1060
Russell
related archival
items.....................................................................................3,000+
Russell
related items in the Library
collection.............................................................2,500+
The C.M. Russell Museum’s summer hours (May-September) are: Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12-5 p.m. The winter hours (October-April) are: closed Monday, Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m.. The Russell home is closed in the winter.
Lorne E.
Render, Executive Director
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