Charlie Russell's Birthday Month Brings Cowboy Songs, Gallery Tours, and Birthday Cake to Helena
In the main lobby of the Montana Heritage Center, there's a gallery dedicated to a man who painted the West not as myth, but as memory. Charles M. Russell (Charlie, to anyone who knows his work) was born in March, and this month the Montana Historical Society is marking the occasion with a full calendar of programs designed to pull new visitors into his world.
The celebration stretches across nearly every weekend in March, anchored by the Heritage Center's new Charles M. Russell Gallery. The lineup ranges from cowboy music to living-history tours to a kids' art workshop. Plus, yes, birthday cake.
"Charlie Russell's art is a window into a world that helped shape this state," said Martha Kohl, outreach and education program manager with the Montana Historical Society. "This month, we want to invite everyone to experience that legacy in new and memorable ways."
Things get started Thursday, March 5, when storyteller and musician Philip Page takes the stage at 6:30 p.m. for "Montana's Cowboy Songs." Page will trace the musical traditions of cowboy life on the Montana plains, the songs that passed the hours on long rides and around campfires, and the role that music played in shaping the culture of the American West. Registration is required.
Then there's Nancy Russell. Charlie's wife wasn't just along for the ride. She managed his career and shaped his legacy. On three Saturdays in March (the 7th, 14th, and 28th), scholar and historic reenactor Mary Jane Bradbury will step into Nancy's shoes for guided tours of the Russell gallery titled "Telling Her Own Tales: Nancy Russell's Unique Insights into Montana's Cowboy Artist." Tours start at 10:30 a.m. in front of the gallery, and registration is required.
March 14 shapes up as the big day. That Saturday morning, kids ages 7 and up can join a free art workshop from 10:00 a.m. to noon: "Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum: Illustrating Horses," led by an instructor from the Holter Museum of Art. Young artists will explore how horses appear throughout the museum's exhibits, then try their hand at drawing them. Spots are limited to 20, advance registration is required, and adults should plan to accompany their children. At noon, everyone is invited to the Heritage Center's historic lobby for birthday cake.
For those who just want a guided look at Russell's work without all the fanfare, regular gallery tours run every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. throughout the month. No registration needed. Just show up.
And the Russell celebrations don't stop in Helena. Over in Great Falls, the C. M. Russell Museum hosts its Western Art Experience from March 19-21, which includes a free public lecture on Saturday, March 21 at 9:00 a.m.: "FBI Art Crime Team: Art & Cultural Heritage Crimes." If that combination of cowboy art and federal investigations doesn't get you curious, nothing will.
For a full calendar of events and registration details, visit mths.mt.gov/education/Community-Events, or contact Martha Kohl at [email protected].
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