The C.M. Russel Museum announces the opening of The Russell Exhibition

February 14, 2017, Great Falls, Mont. – The C.M. Russell Museum announces the opening of The Russell Exhibition on Friday, February 17, 2017. The exhibition will run through Thursday, March 16, 2017, allowing the community, Western art enthusiasts, and Western art collectors to view the pieces available for sale during Western Art Week.

The Russell Exhibition at the C.M. Russell Museum will display all artwork to be sold during the First Strike Auction and The Russell Live Auction, March 17 and March 18, 2017. Notable works by Charles M. Russell (1864-1926) that will be on display include an oil painting, Following the Buffalo Run, c. 1894, estimated to sell between $1.25 and $1.75 million, and a rare Bronze, Where the Best of Riders Quit, expected to gavel between $275,000 and $375,000. Also on view will be The Victors, an oil painting by Gerard Curtis Delano (1891-1972) with an estimated value of $350,000 to $450,000.
Along with many of today’s talented contemporary Western artists, works by the 2017 Russell Skull Society of Artists will also be on display. Criteria for membership in this elite group of artists include the artist’s support and commitment to the mission of the C.M. Russell Museum; their accomplishments as demonstrated by awards and exhibits; and the strength and history of the artists’ sales in The Russell. In all, more than 240 pieces of art comprise The Russell Exhibition.
The Russell Exhibition and Sale is the only auction during Western Art Week to directly benefit the C.M. Russell Museum. While the museum retains a small portion of the proceeds from auction sales, it must still raise $2 for every dollar raised during The Russell to meet its annual operating expenses.
Museum hours for viewing The Russell Exhibition are 10am to 5pm, Wednesday through Sunday. The Museum will also be open on Presidents Day, Monday, February 20, 2017, from 10am to 5pm. For more information, visitors may call 406.727.8787 or visit the C.M. Russell Museum’s website.