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Rodeo weekend in Cascade proved to be a great opportunity for folks to gather and celebrate the spirit of cowboys and cowgirls, western culture, local art history and local artists! On Saturday, more than 135 attendees came out to the C.M."Charlie" & Nancy Russell Honeymoon Cottage for free cottage tours. Attendees also had the chance to appreciate and shop an impressive variety of local art created by:

● Lance DuBois of Running Wolf Fine Art

● Sage DuBois-Butcher of Sage DuBois Photography

● Christa Hardy of Hardy Creek Ceramics

● Bill Strobbe of BS Leatherworks

Since the late 1800's when Charlie and Nancy Russell were newlyweds living in their humble, one-room cottage in Cascade, art has been bringing people of all walks of life together. Art establishes a foundation of common ground for people of all ages and backgrounds to start positive conversations. This community event was a collaboration between the newly formed Cascade Arts Council and cottage owners, Channing and Donna Hartelius.

"Charlie Russell's history here in Cascade is so special and unique," said Christa Hardy of Hardy Creek Ceramics. "The positive energy and history of Charlie's time in our area is definitely something to celebrate and it's fun for everyone to come together."

The Hartelius couple and the Cascade Arts Council look forward to the possibility of making this an annual event. For the first year, four local artists were featured to keep things simple. But, the overwhelming success of this recent event opens up endless possibilities of what could be achieved in the future. With community engagement and support, this Local Art Celebration is the beginning of a movement to bring more family-friendly art events, experiences and opportunities to our rural community.

"We are just getting the Cascade Arts Council started," said Donna Hartelius. "This is simply a community interest group of locals who are passionate about the arts. We look forward to hearing community feedback and ideas so we can keep the positive momentum going."