Admission to the C M Russell Museum
Great Falls, Montana
Trip Type: Cultural Tours
Duration: 3 hours
Visit the acclaimed C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana. See prized works of art from one of America's preeminent western artist, from beautiful mountain landscapes painted in oil to intimate photographs of 19th century plains Indians. Capturing more than 4,000 pieces of art spanning more than 50 years of American history, the museum offers a excellent opportunity to learn more about the people and culture of the American West in the 19th century.
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Visit the acclaimed C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana. See prized works of art from one of America's preeminent western artist, from beautiful mountain landscapes painted in oil to intimate photographs of 19th century plains Indians. Capturing more than 4,000 pieces of art spanning more than 50 years of American history, the museum offers a excellent opportunity to learn more about the people and culture of the American West in the 19th century.Charlie Russell was born in 1864 in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a well-to-do family. Fascinated by the tales of the Wild West heard through stories about his great uncles, the Bent brothers who had been trappers and traders in the West, Russell traveled to Montana in 1880, and made a life on the frontier. By 1882 he began working as a cowboy in the Judith Basin of Montana and for the next eleven years, was a night wrangler. Working at night meant his days were free to observe and sketch the working cowboys around him. In 1893, Russell left the cowboy life behind him and become a full-time artist. He moved to Great Falls with his new wife, Nancy Cooper, where he built a home and studio. Over the course of his life he created around 4,000 works of art that reside in both public and private collections throughout the country.
Although primarily focused on the works of the local artist who died nearly 90 years ago, the museum also includes numerous collections of other western artists whose works complemented the stories and themes that so intrigued Russell throughout his lifetime. When you visit the museum, you will quickly find yourself surrounded by a sense of history and culture that is wholly and completely connected to the lives and culture of the people of Montana today.
The summer exhibition, Going to the Sun: Artists in Glacier National Park, is comprised of more than 130 works of art by artists who have painted the landscape, wildlife, and people of Glacier National Park, along with more than a dozen historical and contextual objects that help visualize the role of the National Park Service and the Great Northern Railroad in the growth of Glacier National Park.
Although primarily focused on the works of the local artist who died nearly 90 years ago, the museum also includes numerous collections of other western artists whose works complemented the stories and themes that so intrigued Russell throughout his lifetime. When you visit the museum, you will quickly find yourself surrounded by a sense of history and culture that is wholly and completely connected to the lives and culture of the people of Montana today.
The summer exhibition, Going to the Sun: Artists in Glacier National Park, is comprised of more than 130 works of art by artists who have painted the landscape, wildlife, and people of Glacier National Park, along with more than a dozen historical and contextual objects that help visualize the role of the National Park Service and the Great Northern Railroad in the growth of Glacier National Park.
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