Artists and creatives practitioners living, working, or studying in the Goulburn Valley and Hume regions are invited to apply to SAM Selects 2026 and SAM Spotlight 2026, two opportunities tailored to emerging, early, and mid-career creatives to exhibit in Shepparton Art Museum’s (SAM) Hugh D.T. Williamson Community Gallery.

SAM Selects accepts proposals from artists, curators, creative practitioners and community groups to exhibit an original creative project or body of work in the Community Gallery at SAM, offering a rare opportunity to present within a major art museum. In 2026, the successful SAM Selects exhibition will receive $1,000 to support project delivery. Proposals should consist of existing work by a single artist or collaborative group that is ready for display. Previous SAM Selects exhibitions include echoes of a new eden, presented in 2025 by Beechworth-based artist Dore Stockhausen, and After the Rain, presented in 2023 by Echuca-based artist collective Tuesday Junction.

SAM Spotlight is a paid solo exhibition opportunity dedicated to showcasing the work of an emerging artist living and working in the Goulburn Valley region. The successful SAM Spotlight artist will work closely with the SAM Curator – Community to create a new body of work over twelve months to present as an exhibition in the Hugh D.T Williamson Community Gallery at SAM. Previous SAM Spotlight artists include Shepparton-based artist Carmel Robertson, Echuca-based artist Ellen Lee, and the upcoming SAM Spotlight 2025 exhibition will feature a new body of work from Shepparton-based printmaker Kat Parker.

Applications for SAM Spotlight and SAM Selects must be submitted online via the SAM website. Applications are reviewed by the curatorial team for eligibility before being presented to the SAM Community Gallery selection panel featuring industry and community representatives, who asses the applications on their quality and artistic merit, the clarity of the proposed exhibition’s theme or concept, the proposed exhibition’s relevance to the community, region, the suitability of the proposed exhibition to the physical limitations of the space, and SAM’s wider curatorial program.

Creatives wanting to learn more about the upcoming Community Gallery opportunities are invited to join Caroline Esbenshade at SAM on 8 September 2025 at 5.30pm for an information session that will explain the application and assessment processes, and answer any questions. Registrations for the event are now open via Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/information-session-opportunities-to-exhibit-at-sam-q4dw7czd

Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, says of the exhibition:

“Participating in SAM Spotlight or SAM Selects is a great step towards connecting your creative practice with a large audience. Even if your submission is unsuccessful for this round, just going through the application process has merit—every application is read by our curatorial team, giving you valuable exposure, feedback, and a chance to develop application materials you can use for other opportunities. I strongly encourage every eligible artist and creative practitioner in our region with a creative project waiting to be shown, or an emerging artist who is ready to take the next leap in their practice, to put together a submission for 2026, and to join us for our upcoming information session on 8 September.”

Carmel Robertson, 2024 SAM Spotlight artist, says of the opportunity:

“SAM Spotlight provided an opportunity to work with curator, Caroline Esbenshade, and the focus to develop and consolidate my artistic practice.  Having my body of work professionally curated and displayed in a public gallery allowed it to reach a wider audience. This experience has enabled me to exhibit in additional gallery spaces.”

Applications for SAM Selects 2026 and SAM Spotlight 2026 are now open until 1 October 2025. Full eligibility details, downloadable templates, and application forms can be found on the SAM website: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/support-get-involved/exhibit-at-sam/

ENDS

About SAM:

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is located on Yorta Yorta Country, Shepparton, Victoria.

As a leading Australian regional art museum, SAM showcases its exhibitions and collections in new and exciting ways, creating a welcoming, inclusive and engaging space for all visitors.

Recognised for its significant Australian ceramics collection and nationally significant collection of Indigenous art, SAM’s programming is designed to be locally relevant and engages with global contemporary ideas. Through its exhibitions, collection, programs and events, SAM creates a place where art helps us to better understand the ancient cultures of this country and contemporary multicultural Australia.

Media enquiries, please contact: Mikela Guseli, SAM Communications Officer.

p: (03) 4804 5009 e: mguseli@sheppartonartmuseum.com.au

Featured image: Dore Stockhausen: echoes of a new eden, SAM Selects 2025, installation view, Shepparton Art Museum, 2025. Photo: Leon Schoots.