GREAT FALLS — CMR High School in Great Falls now has a massive piece of art -- temporarily -- thanks to a Montana artist.
A bison skull sculpture is on display outside the school.
The Great Falls Public Schools Music & Art Department said in a Facebook post on September 17:
It is 24 feet wide and weigh about 4200 lbs. It arrived from Wolf Point yesterday and we installed it this morning. Thanks to all the Buildings and Grounds and CMR custodial crew that helped with the unload—it was quite a project! We think Charlie Russell would be pretty proud to see this skull on the campus of the school named after him!
Artist Benji Daniels of Billings made the sculpture and offered to let the high school display it for the school year.
"Because we are the Rustlers, it's just suitable for us to have it,” said CMR Art Department chair Tess Jacobs. "He was really excited about the students being able to interact with it. I've taught them about bronzing and how that process works.”
Several teachers are discussing raising money to buy the sculpture so it can be there permanently.