The Artist, His Wife, and the Land of Shining Mountains

Viewed against the backdrop of the social and political reform which occurred during the early decades of the twentieth century, Nancy Cooper Russell was a woman ahead of her time. A self-taught business woman with an innate ability to take charge, she helped turn a rambunctious cowboy into one of America’s most highly acclaimed Western artists.

Today, scholars consistently credit Nancy as the entrepreneurial force behind the extraordinary number of Russell paintings and sculptures that now grace public galleries and private collections. In a performance that brings Nancy to life, Mary Jane Bradbury shares the story of how the couple met, describes the world of art into which Nancy propelled them, and the artists and celebrities that the Russells befriended as they traveled from Montana to New York City, and eventually to a growing California suburb called Hollywood.

Mary Jane Bradbury is a storyteller and historic interpreter who has traveled the Rocky Mountain west for over 30 years, bringing history to life for audiences of all ages. A member of Humanities Montana and Colorado Humanities speakers bureaus, and an artist in residence for the Charles M. Russell Museum and the Montana Historical Society, she holds a Masters in Speech Communication from Regis University. She lives in Helena, Montana.

The library's original Charles Russell watercolor, Lone Warrior, will be on display for this event!