Winston Publishing

12 • portfolio the russell: the sale to benefit the cm russell museum Russell Masterpieces to be Reunited in 2019 Victory Stampede Exhibition This Summer, experience an exhibition a century in the making at the C.M. Russell Museum Angie Windheim I n an ambitious and breathtaking summer 2019 exhibition, visitors to the C.M. Russell Museum will soon witness one of the most significant assemblages of Russell masterpieces. A century after the 1919 Victory Stampede in Calgary celebrated the end of the First World War, the museum will be honoring Russell's significant contribution to the event. Nearly all of the twenty-four oil paintings and eight bronze sculptures once hailed as a "Peerless Presentation of the Pioneer Past" will be reunited–a once in a lifetime opportunity to see these masterpieces displayed in the same room. The Calgary Stampede extravaganzas masterminded by Guy Weadick expanded Russell's status as "Montana's Cowboy Artist" to that of an international figure in the world of art. His participation in the first Calgary Stampede in 1912 was an unqualified success with paintings sold to buyers from Canada and Britain. Russell's return to Calgary seven years later for the Victory Stampede was just as noteworthy. Ten paintings were sold and the Prince of Wales himself left Canada with two Russell paintings in tow. The museum exhibition and accompanying catalogue Return to Calgary: Charles M. Russell and the 1919 Victory Stampede will bring to life the stories of this pivotal time, of Stampede creator Weadick, and the friendship between Weadick and Russell. Visitors will come to know the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede as a celebration of Canada's western heritage and learn how cultural performance and Russell's art have shaped the public memory in the aftermath of World War I. "For a population reeling from the effects of the war, Russell's images offered a respite from the barrage of photographs and newsreels that saturated daily life," said Curator Emily Wilson. "He provided instead a view of a familiar and reassuring landscape that marked the Western culture as one of manageable hardship and simple comfort, one that is place bound and secure in a world rapidly stretching beyond the familiar confines of home and country." Russell embraced the spirit of the American West both on canvas and in his life. Weadick reflected on his memory of Russell in an address to the Montana Cowboy's Association in 1939, "Lovable, loyal, honest, kindly, modest and unassuming, with always a good word for all and malice toward none, he fully portrayed all that is best in man, the typical cowboy type, an inspiration to all he came in contact with." Don't miss this landmark exhibition, including 21 of the original 24 paintings and all the bronzes. Visit cmrussell. org to sign up for the museum newsletter or become a museum member to learn more about the exhibition opening.

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