Russell House and Studio Exhibit

While Russell’s works appear in collections throughout the United States, the C.M. Russell Museum is a unique opportunity for visitors to connect with Charlie as an artist, husband, and friend. The museum includes not just interpretive exhibits and art galleries, but Russell’s studio, the house he and Nancy Russell built, and the gallery addition to the studio. In 2017, the C.M. Russell Museum secured funding through an NEH Planning Grant to re-envision these spaces and how they relate to the broader museum experience. The museum convened a panel of humanities advisors to serve as content resources for the project, and contracted with Split Rock Studios to complete the initial design for these new exhibits.

At their best, exhibits provide transformative experiences for visitors—they evoke emotions, spark curiosity, and prompt behavioral changes after visits. To create these kinds of experiences, Split Rock Studios designs interactive exhibit components, immersive spaces, and multisensory moments. When considering content, they prioritize stories that help visitors develop connections between different ideas and content that is relevant to visitors’ lives. The goal is to inspire visitors to continue learning and engaging with the world after their visit, not to inundate them with too much content during their visit. This exhibit will be guided by three principles.

• Create interactive and participatory experiences for visitors of all ages
• Design immersive and authentic historic spaces
• Prioritize meaningful and relevant content and storylines

The Russell House and Studio set the museum apart and provide a unique opportunity for visitors to commune with Charlie the artist and gain a deeper understanding of Charlie and Nancy’s marriage and partnership. The exhibition plan will continue to evolve until the opening in March 2019, and we’ll keep you posted on our progress.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website