Charlie Russell turned the vanishing frontier into some of America's most beloved Western art. Montana's identity was forged on the open range, and its culture still carries that stamp.

Charles M. Russell lived and painted in Great Falls for decades.

What sets it apart

His work captured cowboys, tribes and wildlife of the open range. That detail is easy to overlook, but it helps explain the pull this place has on Montanans and visitors alike.

The C.M. Russell Museum preserves his log-cabin studio.

Why it matters

Step back, and a bigger picture comes into focus: this is Montana in miniature, rugged and unhurried. It is a heritage still very much alive in the towns and gatherings of today's Montana.