Various locations, Great Falls, MT March 20-22
One of the major annual events of the Western art circuit, the C.M. Russell Museum’s The Russell: A Western Art Experience, will be held from March 20 to 22. The Art Preview Party on Thursday, March 20, will offer prospective buyers the opportunity to view artworks featured in First Strike and The Russell auctions.
On the next day, Friday, March 21, renowned artists will be on hand, bringing new works to life while interacting with guests during a paint out. The event will end with a live auction—artists will donate all of the proceeds from pieces sold to the museum. The First Strike Friday Night Auction caps the day, with a sale of the finest in contemporary Western art. Attendees can enjoy music, delicious food and a spirited auction in a relaxed atmosphere.
On Saturday, March 22, guests can experience The Russell Live Auction of significant historical pieces as well as distinguished contemporary works. Three important paintings by the museum’s namesake Charles M. Russell anchor the sale: THE RUN, a 1906 oil, and two watercolors, WATCHING THE IRON HORSE, painted in 1902, and WOMEN OF AMERICA, painted in 1924.
THE RUN and WATCHING THE IRON HORSE are the Western master’s takes on classic subjects as seen from the perspective of Natives: the kinetic energy of the buffalo hunt and the coming of the railroad as a symbol of westward expansion. In WOMEN OF AMERICA, Russell turns his attention and brush away from Native men, focusing here on the crucial role of Indigenous women as they organize their community, keep them together, and lead them on their journey. As they traverse the side of a hill—moving along it instead of going over it, a wise choice that Russell emphasizes, the viewer feels the strength, adaptability and perseverance that are the hallmarks of this unique watercolor.
As if taking a cue from Russell’s WOMEN OF AMERICA, Jeremy Winborg’s DAHTESE—AS SKILLFUL AS THE MEN, places the viewer at the center of the action as the horsemanship of a Native woman outpaces the efforts of her competitors. The point of view and our proximity to the riders allows us to see the intensity on Dahtese’s face as well as the clouds of dust that indicate that she has left the others behind.
One of the mesmerizing pieces in the exhibition is Robert Rodriguez’s oil LAKOTA WARSHIRT—CIRCA 1890. A pipe wreathed in smoke hovers in the shadows above the war shirt. The painting, which at first resembles the kind of display you might see in a museum—only at night, after all the patrons have gone—seems as if it is about to come to life. It is as if a spirit is about to fill the war shirt and that spirit is about to step down from the vitrine and begin the Ghost Dance, a dance that was performed in 1890.
With such an array of events and with a wide range of works by celebrated artists such as Michael Blessing, Colt Idol, Steve Seltzer, Tom Saubert and many others, The Russell: A Western Art Experience, constitutes a veritable three-day banquet of art. —James D. Balestrieri
contact informationcmrussell.org
This story appeared in the February/March 2025 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Subscribe today to read every issue in its entirety.
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