C.M. Russell Museum fundraiser breaks $1M mark

The watercolor ‘High, Wide and Handsome’ sold for $300,000 at the auction. Image courtesy C.M. Russell Museum.

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) – The C.M. Russell Museum says it brought in more than $1 million in net income from its Western Art Week and Russell Auction held in March.

Museum executive director Michael Duchemim says the museum brought in a record $1.03 million from the three-day sale and auction. $180,000 of that will go toward student programs and scholarships.

Duchemim tells the Great Falls Tribune the rest of the money will be used for operating expenses, including staff salaries, security and utility bills.

The highest-price artwork sold at the auction was Charlie Russell’s High, Wide and Handsome, which went for $550,000.

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Information from: Great Falls Tribune, greatfallstribune.com

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AP-WF-05-23-13 1554GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The watercolor ‘High, Wide and Handsome’ sold for $300,000 at the auction. Image courtesy C.M. Russell Museum.