Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), Piegans, 1908, oil on canvas, 17½ x 14¼” Estimate: $2.6/3 million

Before that can happen, though, the museum will send off the August version in grand style with a slate of events that run from August 16 to 19 in several locations in Great Falls, Montana. The events speak to the rich art culture that thrives in Big Sky Country, their connections to Charlie Russell and his legacy in the West, and to the resilience of the C.M. Russell Museum, which hosts and organizes the events. 

Jeremy Winborg, Battle Where the Girl Saved Her Brother (Battle of the Rosebud), oil, 50 x 36” Estimate: $28/32,000

“The event was started in the 1960s as a fundraiser for the Russell museum,” says Duane Braaten, director of art and philanthropy at the C.M. Russell Museum. “The Russell has drawn in audiences and friends of the museum who want to renew their interest in Charlie and his work. It’s also a terrific venue for all the Western artists who are following Charlie in his footsteps within the art world. We hope to bring together people to meet new friends, as well as reacquaint people with their old friends at our annual show.”

W. Steve Seltzer, Drifting and Dreaming, oil, 30 x 36” Estimate: $8/10,000

Events kick off August 16 with the Art Preview Party at the C.M. Russell Museum. This event is where collectors and potential bidders can look at the 203 pieces of artwork that will be sold at the various sales that are a part of The Russell.Following that, on August 17, events will shift to the Newberry in downtown Great Falls, where the First Strike Thursday Night sale will take place. The auction is made up entirely of contemporary artists, including established stars and up-and-coming artists from all around the country. 

Colt Idol, Heart and Soul, oil, 60 x 48” Estimate: $13/16,000

On August 18, two events will take place: Art in Action, the quickdraw event that concludes with a sale of the completed works of art, followed by the Russell Live Auction, where many of the high-dollar works will be offered to bidders. Both events take place at the Meadow Lark Country Club, situated on the banks of the Missouri River. 

Bradford Overton, Hammer of the Gods #2, oil, 36 x 36” Estimate: $9/12,000

One key lot in the sale is Russell’s Piegans, a 1908 watercolor that should generate some fireworks among Russell’s many collectors. The major work is estimated at $2.6 million to $3 million. “Utilizing his now-maturing paintbrush skills and compositional techniques, Russell in 1908 captures an intriguing combination of light interacting with both variations in the deep Montana landscape as well as iconic figures of Piegan Indians on the move,” the catalog notes. “The lead brave is adorned with intricate beadwork…Russell is using this device to stimulate the viewer’s engagement with his streamlined composition. These elements reflect Russell’s deepening sensitivity, as he progressively gains ever greater understanding and respect for the culture of nomadic Native American tribes moving across the northern Montana territory. (For more information on the painting, and vital context within Russell’s career, see Tom Petrie’s feature on the work on Page 46.) 

Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey, Girls Night Out, dye on silk, 28 x 35” Estimate: $10/12,000

Russell will have three lots in the sale, including Cavalry Mounts for the Braves, another important work on paper. The piece, showing a single rider, is estimated at $250,000 to $350,000. Other historic artists represented in the sale include John Fery, Marjorie Reed, Carl Wimar, Olaf Wieghorst and Joseph Henry Sharp, whose painting Governor’s Son (est. $80/100,000) will be offered.

Ty Barhaug, The Stone Wall, oil, 12¾ x 30” Estimate: $3/4,000

Jeremy Winborg will be offering Battle Where the Girl Saved Her Brother (Battle of the Rosebud), an action scene showing male and female riders charging into battle on one horse. “On June 17, 1876, in Montana Territory, a battle took place between the United States Army and Northern Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux tribes alongside Rosebud Creek. During the fighting, Comes in Sight, a Cheyenne warrior, had his horse shot out from under him leaving him stranded on the battlefield. Seeing her brother about to be killed by the enemy, Buffalo Calf Road Woman courageously rode onto the battlefield at full speed, pistol in hand and rescued her brother by having him grab onto the neck of the horse, carrying him to safety,” the artist writes about the work. “Her brave actions helped the Cheyenne to rally and defeat the army that day. History may remember this battle as the Battle of the Rosebud, but in honor of Buffalo Calf Road Woman, the Cheyenne remember it as the Battle Where the Girl Saved Her Brother.”