Page 6 - Demo

3 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMINGCOFFEE & CONVERSATIONSCoffee & Conversations brought members and visitors together for an intimate monthly series featuring staff stories and a closer look at the art, artists, and work behind preserving Russell%u2019s legacy. Sessions ran approximately one hour beginning at 10:30 a.m. and included complimentary coffee and pastries. Topics covered included staff favorites from the collection, conservation challenges, Russell%u2019s personal correspondence, the exhibition-building process, and the museum%u2019s art acquisition practices.RUSSELL BOOK CLUBThe Russell Book Club met monthly on the last Tuesday of each month in the museum gift shop, bringing readers together to explore books connected to art, history, and the American West. The club complemented museum programming throughout the year, including a tie-in with the lecture on Montana%u2019s red-light districts alongside the selection Montana Madams.EDUCATIONAL SYMPOSIUM: FBI ART CRIME TEAMThe museum hosted an educational symposium at the Montana ExpoPark featuring Special Agent Sean Dudley of the FBI%u2019s Art Crime Team. The program offered a behindthe-scenes look at how the FBI investigates art and cultural heritage crimes, including real-world case examples and an overview of the National Stolen Art File. The discussion examined the broader impact of these crimes on museums, communities, and cultural institutions.BRIGID REEDY: MUSIC, POETRY, AND STORYTELLINGNationally acclaimed musician, poet, storyteller, and artist Brigid Reedy performed at the museum, bringing the spirit of the rural American West to life through music, words, and pen-and-ink illustrations. Reedy has performed at Carnegie Hall and The Grand Ole Opry and has presented at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. The event was free and open to the public.LECTURESUnseen Stories: Montana%u2019s Red-Light Districts and the Communities That Shaped ThemPublic historian Sophia Etier presented a program exploring Montana%u2019s lesser-known past from 1865 to 1917, examining the social fabric of the state%u2019s red-light districts and highlighting the lives of marginalized residents, including African American and Chinese Montanans whose contributions had long been overlooked.Survival and Loss: Indigenous Boarding SchoolsKim Quigley presented a powerful program exploring the history and lasting impact of government-run Native American boarding schools. Through archival photographs, survivor memoirs, and poetry, participants reflected on the broader legacy of this system and connected its themes to their own lives.Artist Lecture: Corwin %u201cCorky%u201d ClairmontArtist Corwin %u201cCorky%u201d Clairmont led an in-gallery lecture and conversation about The Corwin Clairmont Collection. He shared insights into his creative process, the evolution of his career, and the cultural and environmental themes shaping his work, including pieces from the Yellowstone Pipeline and Shadows series.Clarke After DarkA panel discussion celebrated the life and work of Blackfeet artist John Louis Clarke (1881%u20131970), known as Cutapuis %u2014%u201cthe man who talks not.%u201d Panelists included historian Dr. Larry Len Peterson, former Montana Historical Society curator Kirby Lambert, carver and sculptor Loren Pinski, and Associate Curator Sarah Adcock. The event was recorded and shared on the museum%u2019s YouTube channel.Author Talk & Book Signing: Dinosaur DreamsAward-winning author B.J. Hollars shared stories from his book Dinosaur Dreams, recounting a 2,000-mile journey with his nine-year-old daughter along the Montana Dinosaur Trail. The book explored extinction, preservation, and what the fossil record teaches about safeguarding the future. A book signing followed the talk.Author Talk & Book Signing: Winning the EarthquakeHistorian Lorissa Rinehart presented Winning the Earthquake, the first major biography of Jeannette Rankin %u2014 suffragist, activist, and the first American woman elected to federal office. Rinehart explored Rankin%u2019s Montana roots, her role in championing the 19th Amendment, and her lifelong advocacy for workers, children, and peace. A book signing followed the presentation.Film Screening: The Story of Us%u2014The Women Who Shaped Montana, Episode IIIThe museum hosted a screening of Episode III of The Story of Us at the Great Falls High School Auditorium. The 30-minute episode celebrated Nancy Cooper Russell, Ella Knowles Haskell, and Fannie Sperry Steele%u2014three women whose courage and creativity helped define the Treasure State. A Q & A with the producers and Associate Curator Sarah Adcock followed the screening.Author Talk & Book Signing: When Montana Outraced the EastHistorian Catharine Melin-Moser presented her book When Montana Outraced the East: The Reign of the Western Thoroughbreds 1886%u20131900, in partnership with the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame Annual Induction Ceremony. She shared how three Montana frontiersmen bred world-class Thoroughbred racehorses in the rugged West, producing equine champions that captured national attention. A book signing followed the talk.EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING