An ongoing fundraising campaign at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana, is generating quite a buzz after one of Charles M. Russell’s most famous works entered the mix as a challenge to patrons and supporters.
Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), The Hold Up, 1899, oil on canvas, 30 x 48”. Petrie Collection, Denver, Colorado.
The museum launched a new initiative within its Art and Soul Campaign with a $25 million goal to grow its endowment. As part of the initiative, campaign co-chair and respected Russell collector Tom Petrie issued a match challenge: once the museum has reached key funding goals it would first get half the ownership rights to Russell’s 1904 work Gun Fighters, sometimes referred to as Death of a Gambler, and then Russell’s 1899 masterpiece The Hold Up. The first goal for Gun Fighters was met in 2020, so now patrons and donors are setting their sights on The Hold Up. So far the museum has raised more than $18.9 million, which includes a $2.5 million gift, the largest cash gift in the museum’s history, from Ian and Nancy Davidson of Montana.
“The C.M. Russell Museum is a very important part of Great Falls and a treasure for the entire country,” says Ian Davidson. “When you are born and raised here, you realize how lucky you are to be surrounded by Russell’s art and the American West he captured.”
“We love Charlie Russell, his honesty and authenticity as an artist and as a person,” Nancy adds. “It is a real joy for us to help build the museum’s endowment to enshrine his legacy for our community, for Montana, and for people around the world.”
For information about contributing to the museum, visit www.artandsoulmt.org.
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