SHEPPARTON ART MUSEUM PRESENTS

FACING MODERNITY: DEGAS TO PICASSO
FROM AUCKLAND ART GALLERY TOI O TĀMAKI
23 MAY – 20 SEPTEMBER 2026

A Masterful Journey Through Modern Art at Shepparton Art Museum

This winter, Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) invites art lovers to step into the bold, beautiful and revolutionary world of Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, a landmark exhibition from Aotearoa New Zealand’s pre-eminent art gallery, featuring esteemed works never before shown in Australia tracing the evolution of modern art through some of its most celebrated masters.

From 23 May to 20 September 2026, visitors to SAM will encounter works by Pierre Bonnard, Georges Braque, Paul Cezanne, Salvador Dalí, André Derain, Paul Gauguin, Barbara Hepworth, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso.

Spanning nearly a century of artistic innovation, Facing Modernity brings together 37 exceptional paintings and sculptures that capture the radical shifts in art from the late 19^th century to the mid-20^th century. Audiences will encounter the icons of the modern art movements, including Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism and post-war abstraction.

This important collection of works includes a major philanthropic gift from New York-based collectors Julian Robertson (1932-2022) and Josie Robertson (1943-2010) to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in 2023. Their generous bequest offers a rare glimpse into the vision of two passionate art patrons and their lifelong commitment to sharing and celebrating modern art, and now, their vision will light up gallery walls in regional Victoria for the very first time.

From the sensual nudes and atmospheric brushwork of late 19^th century Impressionism to the geometric intensity of Cubism and the dreamlike worlds of Surrealism, Facing Modernity traces how artists shattered conventions and reimagined the world anew.

Danny Lacy, SAM Artistic Director, says of the exhibition:

“Shepparton Art Museum is honoured to share this extraordinary exhibition with Australian audiences. Facing Modernity offers a rare opportunity to encounter works by the defining figures of modern art; artists whose visions continue to shape how we understand creativity and human connection today.”

Dr Sarah Farrar, Auckland Art Gallery Head of Curatorial and Learning, says:

“These iconic works have become favourites at home, seen by more than 479,000 people on display in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland over the past two years. This tour takes them beyond our walls, creating new encounters for audiences who may not normally have the chance to experience them.”

Presented in partnership with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso will open at Shepparton Art Museum on 23 May 2026 and run until 20 September 2026, with Shepparton Art Museum to be the sole Australian venue to host the touring exhibition.

Ticket bookings for this exhibition will open at 10am on Thursday 23 April 2026. More details on ticketing will be announced in the coming months.

Featured image: Pablo Picasso, Femme à la résille (Woman in a hairnet), 1938, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Julian and Josie Robertson through the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation, 2023. © Estate of Pablo Picasso

About SAM:

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

Serving as a dynamic cultural and community hub for the Greater Shepparton region, SAM is one of Australia’s leading regional art museums and the newest purpose-built collecting institution in regional Victoria. SAM houses one of the nation’s most significant collections of Australian ceramics and regional holdings of South Eastern Indigenous Art, and presents an inclusive museum experience that inspires creativity, forges meaningful connections, and celebrates the unique stories of our region.

Through its programs, events, collection, and temporary exhibitions, SAM creates opportunities for artists and creatives to engage audiences with contemporary ideas and issues, allowing the stories of our country’s ancient cultures and contemporary multicultural Australia to be discovered and exchanged.

About Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki 

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, part of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, is the largest and most inspiring visual arts experience in Aotearoa New Zealand. Its collection and loan collections currently number over 18,000 artworks, spanning major holdings of New Zealand historic, modern and contemporary art. Alongside outstanding works by Māori and Pacific artists, they represent significant international painting, sculpture and print collections.