When Charlie Russell first put pencil to paper, or brush to canvas, he was starting his own story, but he was also kick-starting an important chapter within all of Western art. It’s a story that still continues today and nowhere is that story more celebrated than in Great Falls, Montana, where Russell kept a home and studio, and where his legend looms large still today.
Jeremy Winborg, Dahteste—As Skillful as the Men, oil, 38 x 50 in. Estimate: $32/37,000Beginning March 20, the famous cowboy artist will be the centerpiece of The Russell, the annual celebration and sale hosted by the C.M. Russell Museum. The event, which includes several sales, is a fundraiser for the museum that benefits new projects and programming. More than anything, though, The Russell is a way to celebrate all of Western art. It is the crown jewel in Western Art Week, a citywide event that brings Western artists and collectors into Great Falls from all around the country.
“This year is really shaping up to be something special,” says Duane Braaten, director of art and philanthropy at the C.M. Russell Museum. “In recent years, some of the events of Western Art Week have been happening in August, but now everything is back in March, and we’re back at the famous Heritage Inn here in town. We can feel the excitement, the energy and the anticipation as we get closer to this year’s sales.”
Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), Watching the Iron Horse, 1902, watercolor, 12 x 18 in. Estimate: $650/850,000
Braaten adds that the jury process for this year’s event was quite competitive, which suggests there was more interest from artists. “Artists were clamoring to get into the show,” he says. “It was more competitive that it’s ever been. We have contemporary work alongside historic work—all of it excellent.”
Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), Women of America, 1924, watercolor, 20 x 30 in. Estimate: $1.6/2.4 million
This year’s events kick off on March 20 with a preview party at the C.M. Russell Museum, followed on the next day, March 21, with the Art in Action quick-finish event featuring 26 artists at the Meadow Lark Country Club. That evening, at the Heritage Inn, is the First Strike Friday Night Auction, which primarily features works from contemporary artists, though this year’s sale will include some historic works. On March 22, events shift to the Montana ExpoPark, where an educational symposium will take place with speakers and special guests. Finally, on the evening of March 22, the main live auction will take place at the Heritage Inn.
Colt Idol, Feels Like Home, oil, 48 x 60 in. Estimate: $13/16,000
Additionally, starting in January, the museum will host a silent auction that will close at the conclusion of the main auction on March 22. Lots include Russell drawings and bronzes, and works by Edward Borein, Carl Oscar Borg, Charles Partridge Adams, Joe De Yong, Joseph Henry Sharp and others.
While The Russell typically acquires artwork directly from artists juried into the sale, or private consigners offering historic material, this year’s sale will include a large collection of material from the Sam and Elaine Rosenthal Collection. The Rosenthals were prominent supporters of the museum and avid collectors. Sam’s early purchases had links to Charlie Russell’s son, Jack, who befriended the collector as he took his first steps in the art world. “It’s an honor to see our family’s collection featured in The Russell2025,” children of the Rosenthals said in a statement. “This event allows us to celebrate our parents’ legacy while giving back to an institution they cared about. We’re happy that these pieces will find homes with collectors who share their passion for Western art.”
Jennifer Johnson, Queen of the Tetons, oil, 40 x 30 in. Estimate: $12/15,000
The Rosenthal works will be in both the First Strike Friday Night Auction and the main live auction on Saturday, as well as the online portion that opens in January. About 100 pieces from the collection will be offered. “These are all important historic works that were collected by Sam and Elaine Rosenthal over several decades,” Braaten says. “And now the family is entrusting the C.M. Russell Museum to find the best buyers and also to celebrate the Rosenthal’s collecting legacy. It’s really a special opportunity for us, and we’re so thrilled to work with the family to do justice to the collection and celebrate the collection while finding the best new homes for all of these pieces.”
Pieces from the collection include works by Henry Farny, Olaf C. Seltzer, Eanger Irving Couse, Grace Carpenter Hudson, Maynard Dixon and a stunning Russell painting, Mandan Buffalo Hunt.
Brooke Wetzel, Treasures of Montana, oil, 24 x 36 in. Estimate: $6/8,000
Between the Rosenthall Collection and private consignors, The Russell will have around 20 Russell works available in the sale, including the remarkable and important watercolor Women of America, which was the subject of a major feature by Russell historian Tom Petrie in the November 2024 issue of Western Art Collector. The 1924 painting, which shows a Native American woman leading a group of riders through a Montana landscape, is estimated at $1.6 million to $2.4 million. Other Russell lots include the watercolor and ink piece Old Time Cowboy (est. $125/175,000), the Hello Buck illustrated letter (est. $120/150,000) and the watercolor Watching the Iron Horse (est. $650/850,000).
The variety of Russell lots at this year’s sale is exciting for the organizers of the auction. “These pieces will entice buyers at all different price points. We have everything from the very high-end work to the more modestly priced pieces,” Braaten says. “It just makes for an exciting sale because you’re going to want to watch the whole thing, not just the pieces you’re looking at.”
Caleb Meyer, Living it Up, oil, 40 x 60 in. Estimate: $12/14,000
Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), The Run, oil, 11¼ x 18¼ in. Estimate: TBD
In the area of Western art by living artists, the sale will have new pieces from Michael Blessing, Amber Blazina, Colt Idol, Joe Kronenberg, Randy Van Beek, Luke Frazier, Dan Knepper, W. Steve Seltzer and many others.
Jeremy Winborg, who has participated in The Russell for many years, will be showing Dahteste—As Skillful as the Men(est. $32/37,000), a painting with a strong woman as the central subject. “Dahteste (1860-1955) was a remarkable Chokonen Chiricahua Apache woman known for her bravery and leadership. Even though she was a wife and mother, she chose the warrior’s path. At a young age, she would join her husband on raiding parties where she demonstrated exceptional skills in combat, tracking and strategy, which earned her a respected position among the Apache people. It has been said that she could out-shoot, out-hunt, out-fight and out-run the men,” Winborg writes about the piece. “Dahteste’s strength and resilience were evident throughout her life. Later, she fought alongside Geronimo and renowned spiritual leader Lozen in battles against Mexican and American forces during the Apache Wars. Geronimo, Lozen and Dahteste were a powerful alliance and, together, they exemplified the spirit of Apache resistance. Dahteste’s leadership qualities were evident not only in battle, but also within her community where she played a significant role as messenger, translator and guide to younger warriors. She spoke English and Spanish, and served as an intermediary during negotiations with U.S. soldiers, advocating for the interests of her people during the Apache Wars.”
Donna Howell-Sickles, A Turn in the Woods, mixed media, 32 x 48 in. Estimate: $9/12,000
While The Russell has shown major historic and living artists’ works, it is also known for introducing new collectors to emerging and up-and-coming artists whose works have been accepted into the sale. Many of these works will be shown in the First Strike Friday Night Auction. —
H. Steven Oiestad, Thunderhead, pastel, 24 x 18 in. Estimate: $4/7,000
The Russell
March 20-22, 2025Russell Silent Auction, now open
Art Preview Party, March 20, 5-7 p.m., C.M. Russell Museum, 400 13th Street N, Great Falls, MT 59401
Art in Action, March 21, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m., Meadow Lark Country Club, 300 Country Club Boulevard, Great Falls, MT 59404
First Strike Friday Night Auction, March 21, 4-5 p.m., Heritage Inn, 1700 Fox Farm Road, Great Falls, MT 59404
Educational Symposium, March 22, 9-10 a.m., Montana ExpoPark, 400 Third Street NW, Great Falls, MT 59404
The Russell Live Auction, March 22, 4 p.m., Heritage Inn
Various locations in Great Falls, MT
(406) 727-8787, cmrussell.org
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