SAM Indigenous Collection Grows

Ironwood totem carvings have been donated to SAM collection through a major Cultural Bequest.

SAM is pleased to announce that a significant group of figure and Tutini ironwood totem carvings have been donated to the SAM Shepparton Art Museum Collection through the generous gift of an anonymous donor. These works will further strengthen the Indigenous Collection being donated to SAM by the Gantners.

Established in 1936, the Shepparton Art Gallery was rebranded as the Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) in 2011. In 2012 it was awarded best Victorian small art museum. SAM holds one of Australia’s leading collections of historic and contemporary Australian ceramics. This includes an extensive collection of Indigenous ceramics art, acquired as part of SAM’s Acquisitive Award, the Indigenous Ceramic Art Award (ICAA).

A significant Cultural Bequest of Indigenous art has resulted in SAM holding one of the most important Indigenous collections outside of major State Galleries. Artists of Aboriginal, Tiwi and/or Torres Strait Islander descent are represented.  The Cultural Gift includes Indigenous artworks from across Australia, including works by Albert Namitjira and the Namitjira family, and Yorta Yorta artist Lin Onus. 

The Charles Nodrum Gallery noted

“Ian Baillieu and his family are delighted that the notable group of ironwood carvings collected by his late wife Marianne Baillieu in the Northern Territory in the late 1970s is to remain intact.  As the admired founder of Realities Gallery, she was a pioneer exhibitor of indigenous art in Melbourne. Whilst the quality of these carvings speaks for itself, both the early date of her collection and her personality and influence as a collector combine to give the group a further significance over and above the individual works.”

These works are on view at Charles Nodrum Gallery as part of the Bark + Ironwood exhibition in association with D’lan Davidson until 26 November, 2016.

Notable indigenous works in the SAM collection are now on show at SAM in the exhibition 80/80 Eighty Years of SAM. The Collection until February 2018.