C.M. Russell Museum  
…nature has been my teacher and I will leave it to you whether she has been a good one.
 

Permanent Collection

The Museum's collection has grown throughout the years, and there are now approximately 2,000 Russell artworks, personal objects, and artifacts. Additional works by American artists and a variety of objects bring the total items in our collection to approximately 12,000.

Russell Galleries: The Art and Soul of the West

The suite of five galleries devoted to Charlie Russell allow us to present a significant collection of his artworks and objects, arranged so that the visitor can see Charlie evolve as an artist.

Gallery 2 is dedicated to the young Charlie Russell. It includes some of his earliest paintings and interesting objects such as books that Charlie wrote and illustrated, personal papers, letters, and little humorous sculptures. Portraits of Charlie's grandparents and parents are also featured in this gallery. Galleries 3 and 4 are jerklinededicated to the work Charlie did during his first two decades in Montana (1880 to 1900). Images of cowboys, Northern Plains Indian life, buffalo, elk, wolves and other wild animals of the West reveal his increasing proficiency as an artist as well as his integration into life in the West. Gallery 5 houses examples of Charlie's famous illustrated letters, written to friends and acquaintances. Often humorous and always colorful, many of them are to members of the Trigg family, who donated a major part of our permanent collection. fireboat

The final room devoted to Charlie, gallery 6, showcases the work he created after 1900 until his death in 1926. Characterized by an enhanced use and understanding of color and light, Charlie's work continued to have the universal appeal that it had from the beginning of his career -- and continues to have today! This gallery showcases work that ranks among American masterpieces, including The Jerkline and The Fireboat.

Other Artists on Display

In addition to the Russell galleries, the Museum's permanent collection is highlighted through several other installations. The outstanding Browning Firearms Collection is located in gallery 1, and includes pieces that showcase the significant developments in firearm design made by John Browning. Paintings by highly regarded western American artist O.C. Seltzer and original sculpture models by E.E. Heikka grace galleries russell and seltzer7 and 8. Seltzer, who emigrated from Denmark to Great Falls and worked for the Great Northern Railway, shared Russell's interests. His works depict the varied cultures, stories and images of the West. Seltzer's son Walter and grandson Steve both became artists, and their works are also included in the installation, entitled "Seltzer: An Artistic Legacy."

red starGallery 9 pays tribute to the contemporary perspectives of western art, featuring works acquired by Charlie's Friends of the C.M. Russell Museum, as well as various gifts to the Museum. Works by contemporary artists such as Donna Howell-Sickles, Deborah Butterfield, Russell Chatham, Kevin Red Star, Walter Piehl, Rudy Autio, Harley Brown, Paul Dyck, Isabelle Johnson, and Cyrus Afsary are but a few who depict today's West. Gallery 14 is dedicated to a large collection of bronzes by Great Falls sculptor Jay Contway. His work salutes the working cowboy of today, both on the range and in the rodeo. Marble sculptures by Gerald Balciar reside in gallery 15, which is also home to an engaging display of miniature wagons by Dale Ford.

Changing Exhibitions

Our changing exhibitions allow the Museum to showcase more of our permanent collection. Pieces by important western artists and Russell contemporaries such as J.H. Sharp, Frank Tenney Johnson, John Fery, and Henry Famy often grace the walls of our changing exhibition galleries. These artists, along with Russell, laid the foundation for the western art that was to follow. For exhibitions currently on display, please visit our Current Exhibitions page.