Photographing Montana 1894-1928: The World of Evelyn Cameron
Through December 31, 2010
The Montana Historical Society’s nationally acclaimed traveling exhibit includes 47 striking photographs reproduced from Cameron’s glass-plate and nitrate negatives that record the early days on the western frontier and the coming of the homesteaders that changed the face of the land forever. Watch the outstanding PBS film, Evelyn Cameron, A Worthy Life, in a re-created cabin.
This Land is Your Land Western Landscapes
May 8, 2010 - September 30, 2010
Enjoy the beauty of the west, featuring the artistry of Clyde Aspevig, Phillip Goodwin, Joseph Henry Sharp, Ben Steele, Hans Kleiber, Oscar Borg, and Charles Partridge Adam. This special collection is from the Dale and Mary Hawkins Art Collection donated to the museum in 2010.
Echoes of Eastern Montana: Stories from an Open Country
Through December 31, 2011
This new interactive exhibit will share stories of the people of the Yellowstone River Valley and Northern High Plains. Visitors can watch interviews, listen to amazing stories, read personal diaries, peruse family photo albums, copy favorite recipes, learn new Crow and Northern Cheyenne words, play interactive games, and hear local 
music.
People in communities as diverse as Wibaux, Colstrip, Laurel, Hardin, Forsyth, Harlowton and Billings tell compelling stories of sacrifice and struggle and offer lessons about leadership, home, and family. Come laugh at outrageous tales and discover the changing world of Eastern Montana.
Speaker Series Schedule
Coming Home: The Northern Cheyenne Odyssey
With interactive components, this new traveling exhibit chronicles the largely un-told story of the courageous efforts of the Northern Cheyenne people in their long journey back to their Montana homeland where they reside today. Visitors will hear quotes from Northern Cheyenne leaders, view artifacts, historic photos and ledger art, watch Northern Cheyenne tribal members’ oral histories, and learn new Northern Cheyenne words.
Illustrating the West
May 8, 2010 - September 30, 2010
Witness an Artistic Vision of the American West through to simple line drawings, etchings, and lithographs from artists, including Nick Eggenhofer, J.K. Ralston, William Standing, Ben Steele, Hans Kleiber and Ned Jacob
Dude Ranch Lobby
The museum’s lower gallery has been made over to replicate the lobby of a 1930s dude ranch lodge. Rustic western furniture, inspired by the designs of Thomas Molesworth, and a stone fireplace, provide the ideal setting to display paintings by James Kenneth Ralston, a regional artist inspired by the great stories of the West.
J.K. Ralston: History on Canvas
James Kenneth (J.K.) Ralston (1896-1987) was a noted western artist who lived in Billings for many years. In 1946, Ralston and his son built a log cabin to serve as the artist’s studio. In 2005, the cabin was moved to the Western Heritage Center and the cabin’s interior was restored to reflect his working environment. Ralston’s oil paintings and sketchbooks include scenes depicting his early years growing up on ranches and riding the range in Montana. He relied on family heirlooms and collected artifacts to help him create accurate depictions of famous western events. The Western Heritage Center merged with the J.K. Ralston Studio and now houses a significant repository of the famed artist’s letters, memorabilia and artwork.
In Voice of the Curlew (J.K. Ralston Studio, Inc.:1986) Ralston is quoted as saying:
"In looking back over the years, I must say the art game has been good to me. It has been rewarding far beyond anything I ever dreamed of as a small boy living on ranch along the Missouri River. A
rt was always the way I found to express myself and of the things that have meant so much to me and to my people."
I’m glad that the dice was so rolled out that to be a cowboy I was born. I saw the curtain rung down on the last of the old time range business in Montana. Like a lot of others, I hated to see it go. Now it is history and I am very, very glad that I lived in time and to see and be part of it.
I have been drawing pictures as far back as I can remember and I have made it my life’s work to try and make the old west live on canvas."
Photo: Billings Mayor Willard Fraser confers with James Kenneth Ralston in Ralston’s studio cabin, 1960s. The cabin is now located on the grounds of the Western Heritage Center.
American Indian Tribal Histories Project
The permanent American Indian Tribal Histories Project Exhibit provides visitors with an overview of Montana’s Native American tribes through maps, tribal flags and an explanation of their symbols, Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribal member oral histories and a chronology of the American Indian Tribal Histories Project, whose mission is to preserve and maintain American Indian tribal histories and culture.
