Sarah L. Burt

Sarah L. Burt, 62, of Great Falls, passed away on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at Peace Hospice in Great Falls.Sarah was born in Albion, Nebraska and was a long-time resident of Kansas City, Missouri. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design and art history from Wichita State University. She continued her education at the University of Kansas where she earned a Master of Arts degree in Asian Art history and a Master of Science degree in journalism. She went on to complete Ph.D. coursework in American art history at the University of Kansas, Lawrence.Sarah served for ten years as projects manager for the Georgia OKeeffe Foundation in Santa Fe, NM. Among her accomplishments were the creation of an OKeeffe oral history archive and the preparation of the National Historic Landmark nomination for the OKeeffe Home and Studio in Abiquiu, NM. Concurrent with her position at the foundation, Sarah worked as the researcher and cataloguer for William R. Talbot Fine Art. Sarah also spent two years as the grants manager for Cornerstones Community Partnerships, a Santa Fe nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of historic adobe architecture in the Southwest.In 2007, Sarah joined Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE, where she was the Richard and Mary Holland Curator of American Western Art and curator of American art. While at Joslyn, she oversaw several major collections of Western and American Indian art, including the internationally significant Karl Bodmer watercolors of the Upper Missouri River. While in Omaha, she also served on the mayors Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission.In 2010, Sarah became the Chan and Clara Ferguson Chief Curator for the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana. Her responsibilities included supervisor of curatorial, collections, library, and education departments. In addition, she oversaw the museums collection of Charles M. Russell art, personal affects, home and studio, as well as American Indian art and artifacts.Sarah is survived by her mother, Sally Burt of Kansas City, Missouri; sisters, Carol (Bruce) Cheek of Lake St. Louis, Missouri; Martha Burt of Roeland Park, Kansas and Jennie Burt of Prairie Village, Kansas; and her beloved dogs Alice and Sylvester.She was preceded in death by her father, John R. Burt.In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Sarahs name to the Border Collie Society of America, Ann Shaw/Treasurer, 4729 Old Highgate Entry, Stone Mountain, GA 30083 or Kalispell Regional Medical Center, 310 Sunnyview Lane, Kalispell, MT 59901.A memorial service will be held in Kansas City at a later date.