Two new exhibitions to open at SAM
30 August 2022
Two new exhibitions to open at Shepparton Art Museum on Saturday 13 August 2022.
SAM is honoured to present its upcoming temporary exhibition, the 2022 Indigenous Ceramic Award (ICA), where the selected submissions to its prestigious Indigenous Ceramic Award will be unveiled.
Now in its seventh iteration, the 2022 ICA embarked on a nation-wide callout, inviting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and collectives from all over Australia to submit their entries to the prize. From within the strong contention, 19 finalists were shortlisted by the judging panel, which this year consisted of Museums Victoria Senior Curator Kimberley Moulton (Yorta Yorta), leading contemporary artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, and artist and 2018 ICA finalist Penny Evans (Gamilaraay/Gomeroi).
Melinda Martin, SAM CEO, says of the exhibition:
“The works featured in 2022 ICA tell stories of First People’s culture and history through ceramics that span from the traditional to the experimental and are a beautiful celebration of Indigenous ceramic artmaking. Ceramics displays are so embedded within the SAM building, carefully curated to chronicle the diversity of the medium through form and technique – the ICA, with its centring of Indigenous artists currently practising in Australia, brings the practice of Indigenous artists to the fore. Visitors will be awed by the talent and innovation of the artists featured.”
Presented on Yorta Yorta Country, the award provides a national platform to share personal, historical and deep cultural learnings from artists and Country. It celebrates and supports the rich and diverse use of the ceramic medium by Indigenous artists and acknowledges the special industry of ceramic art. There are three major prizes for finalists to secure: The Major Acquisitive Prize of $20,000, South-East Australian Aboriginal Artist Prize of $5,000 and the People’s Choice Award of $1,500.
Belinda Briggs, SAM Indigenous Curator, says:
“We’re really excited to welcome artists, our community, and all visitors here for the ICA in its inaugural showing in our new building. It presents a unique opportunity to engage with new and emerging ceramicists, as well as both nationally and internationally acclaimed ceramicists, in a regional context. There are some really interesting themes and ideas coming through with how artists are using clay to tell stories that are important to all of us.”
Also opening on Saturday 13 August is the SAM Window, which will feature a new vinyl artwork installation created in collaboration with Kaiela Arts and their artists Jack Anselmi (Yorta Yorta), Suzanne Atkinson (Yorta Yorta), Tammy-Lee Atkinson (Yorta Yorta), Frances Nicholson (Yorta Yorta, Wamba Wamba), Eva Ponting (Gunditjmara), and Lyn Thorpe (Yorta Yorta, Wamba Wamba, Woi-wurrung). Kaiela deya, manu nyananan (River here, is home to all of us) highlights the collection of hand-drawn symbols inlaid into the floor in granite and brass, flowing throughout Kaiela Arts into SAM, and explores the individual meanings behind each symbol and the way in which they intersect together to create a strong collective cultural story. The installation can be viewed in the window until 12 March 2023.
A media preview of 2022 ICA will take place on Thursday 11 August at 12.00pm. The formal opening and award ceremony for ICA will be held at SAM on Saturday 8 October 2022, accompanied by a cultural program on 8 and 9 October celebrating the artists and the rich history of ceramics within Aboriginal and First Nations culture.
Announcing the 2022 ICA finalists
Alfred Lowe, Arrernte (NT)
Alison Milyika Carroll, Pitjantjatjara (SA)
Anne Thompson, Pitjantjatjara (SA)
Bankstown Koori Elders Group (NSW)
- Lorna Morgan Waka-Waka, Darumbal (QLD), Lillian Johnson Waka-Waka, Gubbi Gubbi (QLD), Gloria Peronchik Waka-Waka, Gangulu (QLD), Beverley Gilmartin Wiradjuri (NSW), Victoria Woods Wiradjuri (NSW), Margaret Foat, Buandik (SA), Lola Simmons Wailwan (NSW), John Simmons
Beth Inkamala Mbitjana, Western Aranda (NT)
Billy Bain, Darug (NSW)
Carlene Thompson, Pitjantjatjara (SA)
Debbie Taylor – Worley, Gamilaraay/Gomeroi (NSW)
Elisa Jane Carmichael, Ngugi (QLD)
Elizabeth Dunn, Pitjantjatjara (SA)
Hayley Coulthard Panangka, Western Aranda (NT)
Jock Puautjimi, Tiwi (NT)
Megan Croydon, Kuku Yalanji (QLD)
Philip Denham, Girramay (QLD)
Philomena Yeatman, Gunggandji (QLD)
Rupert Jack, Pitjantjatjara (SA)
Sean Miller, Gamilaroi (NSW)
Tjunkaya Tapaya OAM, Pitjantjatjara (SA)
Vivian Pingkayi Thompson, Pitjantjatjara (SA)
Highlights of the 2022 ICA
- 26 artists will exhibit as finalists, plus one feature artist
- 27 language groups represented
- Prizes
- Major Acquisitive Prize $20,000
- South-East Australian Aboriginal Artist Prize $5,000
- People’s Choice Award $1,500
Judging panel: Kimberley Moulton (Yorta Yorta), Museums Victoria Senior Curator; Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, leading contemporary artist; Penny Evans (Gamilaraay/Gomeroi), 2018 ICA finalist
ENDS
About SAM:
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM), located on Yorta Yorta Country, is one of Australia's outstanding regional art museums, showcasing our exhibitions and collections in new and exciting ways and creating a welcoming, inclusive, and engaging space for all audiences. Artists are central to our work. Our programming is designed to be locally relevant and engage with global contemporary ideas. SAM is recognised for its significant Australian ceramics collection, and our nationally significant collection of Indigenous art. As the only public art museum in Greater Shepparton and north central Victoria, our mission is to present great art in Shepparton, and to contribute to the cultural enrichment, community engagement and economic prosperity of the region.
Media enquiries, please contact: Louise Tremper, Marketing Coordinator, SAM
p: (03) 4804 5026 e: ltremper@sheppartonartmuseum.com.au
VCE art extension workshop series with Mimi Leung
29 August 2022
SAM Studios, our VCE art extension workshop series, returns for Term 3 with local artist Mimi Leung at the helm.
Shepparton Art Museum’s popular after-school educational workshop series will commence for Term 3, running each Wednesday afternoon from 17 August to 21 September. This term, local artist Mimi Leung, whose work was recently projected onto SAM as a major feature of Shepparton’s inaugural White Night program, will lead students through the series of workshops. SAM Studios (previously known as SAM Scholars) offers art-focused mentoring and assists senior students in developing and gaining new practical art skills under the instruction of practising artists and experienced SAM staff.
Gabriella Calandro, SAM Engagement Manager, says of the program:
“SAM Studios builds on the school curriculum and creates a space where VCE students can access materials and can continue to hone their technique and skill to enhance their abilities, allowing them to grow their folio for final assessment at the end of the year. Mimi’s work has a vibrant, animated style, and she will be an incredible mentor for young people with aspirations in the creative fields. Students will benefit immensely from weekly face-to-face sessions with a practising artist.”
The six-week course, titled How to Draw Badly, will draw from Mimi’s colourful practice to encourage participants to explore their own artistic style and language, enrich their own portfolios and gain industry insight to inform their future pathways. Previous participants in the workshop have gone on to have their works selected in SAM’s annual GV Top Arts exhibition Fresh, which showcases the talent of young artists in the region and provides their first experience in exhibiting in a significant arts institution, creating exposure and recognition. Students who have their works featured in the exhibition are also in contention for a number of prizes; artworks are judged by a selection panel, and by visitors for the People’s Choice Award.
The SAM Studios sessions are free, with registrations open to all VCE students in the Goulburn Valley region who are currently studying Art, Studio Art or Visual Communication. Bookings can be made via the SAM website: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/event/sam-studio-term-3/
SAM Studios is generously supported by the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training.
ENDS
About the artist:
Mimi Leung is an artist and illustrator whose playful work weaves together the real and surreal in bright, colourful depictions of imaginative creatures and abstract forms.
Her multidisciplinary practice engages painting, illustration, writing and moving image to tell stories about the world around us. She is interested in big questions about freedom, belonging and meaning, bringing a lens of curiosity to her subjects.
Mimi is represented by The Jacky Winter Group and has exhibited internationally.
About SAM:
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM), located on Yorta Yorta Country, is one of Australia's outstanding regional art museums, showcasing our exhibitions and collections in new and exciting ways and creating a welcoming, inclusive, and engaging space for all audiences. Artists are central to our work. Our programming is designed to be locally relevant and engage with global contemporary ideas. SAM is recognised for its significant Australian ceramics collection, and our nationally significant collection of Indigenous art. As the only public art museum in Greater Shepparton and north central Victoria, our mission is to present great art in Shepparton, and to contribute to the cultural enrichment, community engagement and economic prosperity of the region.
Media enquiries, please contact: Louise Tremper, Marketing Coordinator, SAM
p: (03) 4804 5026 e: ltremper@sheppartonartmuseum.com.au
A new photography exhibition set to open
29 August 2022
A new photography exhibition is set to open in SAM’s Community Gallery on 17 September 2022.
500 Strong, the groundbreaking project from renowned Australian photographer Ponch Hawkes, is set to open in the Shepparton Art Museum’s (SAM) Community Gallery next month. A bold and playful work, the series of black and white photos celebrates the diversity and reality of the ageing female form, born out of Hawke’s desire to confront the conventions of female behaviour and representation in art and society. In 2018, Hawkes embarked on a mission to photograph 500 Victorian women over age 50. Following a callout across the state to women from all backgrounds, 432 Victorian women volunteered to be photographed in the nude to achieve Hawkes’ vision. Photoshoots were organised in Melbourne, at Hawkes’ studio, and at both Shepparton Art Museum (in its previous Welsford Street location) and Geelong Gallery. Participants could show their faces or consider anonymity and, if they wished, came prepared with a personalised face covering.
Originally presented as part of the exhibition Flesh after Fifty, curated by Jane Scott, and having previously been displayed at Geelong Gallery, 500 Strong now arrives at SAM in celebration and recognition of the contribution made to the project by numerous local women through their participation as subjects.
Artist Ponch Hawkes says of the exhibition:
“It’s an honour and a pleasure to be bringing 500 Strong to the marvellous new Shepparton Art Museum. It will of course include photos of dozens of brave Shepparton women, who joined hundreds more in ripping their clothes off and posing naked in the name of art and feminism.”
On Tuesday 6 September, an evening talk and Q & A session will be held by SAM CEO Melinda Martin and the exhibition's curator, Caroline Esbenshade, to discuss the upcoming exhibition prior to its opening. Members of the community who may wish to learn more about the story behind the exhibition and its relevance to the region, or have questions about the works, are invited to attend. Bookings are encouraged and can be made via the SAM website.
Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, says of the exhibition:
“It’s fantastic to have this opportunity to celebrate the women who took part in this project. Getting your kit off raises vulnerabilities personally, socially and professionally, and these women did it boldly. The portraits that make up the work are not only beautiful and full of personality, but also express a ‘joie de vivre’ that many will find inspiring.”
The official opening of 500 Strong will take place on 17 September at 1.00pm in the Community Gallery, with opening remarks from artist Ponch Hawkes. Ponch Hawkes will also join SAM at the close of the exhibition for a special SAM Talk, where she will appear in conversation with Dr Jacqueline Millner, Associate Professor of Visual Arts, La Trobe University.
500 Strong will be on display until 27 November 2022. The exhibition, and all others at SAM, are free and open to the public. More details can be found on the SAM website: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/whats-on/upcoming/sam-presents-ponch-hawkes-500-strong/
ENDS
PROGRAMS & OFFICIAL OPENING
SAM Talks: 500 Strong
Tuesday 6 September, 5.30-6.30pm
SAM, Level 4
FREE
Join Melinda Martin, SAM CEO, and Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, for a conversation about upcoming exhibition 500 Strong. The pair will discuss the project’s connection and the significance behind its display in our Community Gallery, followed by a Q & A session. Book your spot here: https://www.trybooking.com/CCDTG
500 Strong: Official Opening
Saturday 17 September, 1.00pm
SAM Community Gallery, Level 2
FREE
Join artist Ponch Hawkes in our Community Gallery for the official opening of 500 Strong. Learn the story behind the creation of the work and its reception since its initial exhibition, and celebrate the local women who participated in this ground-breaking project. Bookings encouraged but not required – book your spot here: https://www.trybooking.com/CCDTM
SAM Talks: Ponch Hawkes and Dr Jacqueline Millner in Conversation
Sunday 27 November, 2.00-3.00pm
SAM, Level 4
FREE
To mark the closing of the show, join artist Ponch Hawkes for an in-depth conversation with Dr Jacqueline Millner (Associate Professor of Visual Arts, La Trobe University). Together, they will delve into the ideas and themes that drive the work and reflect on the erasure of ageing women from visual culture and the negative stereotypes that surround them. Book your spot here: http://www.trybooking.com/CCDTP
About the artist:
Ponch Hawkes is an Australian photographer whose work explores Australia’s cultural and social histories and present. Broad in scope, her work portrays Australians of all backgrounds in her interest in how individuals relate to one another. Her work is frequently bold and humorous, and at other times sweet, capturing moments between individuals and those of self-reflection.
Hawkes' work has been included in numerous major Australian exhibitions such as Know My Name (2021-22) and Melbourne Now (2013) and is held in many significant collections across the country at institutions such as The National Gallery, The National Gallery of Victoria, the Jewish Museum of Australia, The Queensland Art Gallery and more.
About SAM:
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM), located on Yorta Yorta Country, is one of Australia's outstanding regional art museums, showcasing our exhibitions and collections in new and exciting ways and creating a welcoming, inclusive, and engaging space for all audiences. Artists are central to our work. Our programming is designed to be locally relevant and engage with global contemporary ideas. SAM is recognised for its significant Australian ceramics collection, and our nationally significant collection of Indigenous art. As the only public art museum in Greater Shepparton and north central Victoria, our mission is to present great art in Shepparton, and to contribute to the cultural enrichment, community engagement and economic prosperity of the region.
Media enquiries, please contact: Louise Tremper, Marketing Coordinator, SAM
p: (03) 4804 5026 e: ltremper@sheppartonartmuseum.com.au
ICA 2022: Announcing the finalists
3 August 2022
The finalists of the 2022 Shepparton Art Museum Indigenous Ceramic Award have been selected, with the unveiling of the contending works set for 13 August 2022.
Now in its seventh iteration, the 2022 Indigenous Ceramic Award (ICA) embarked on a nation-wide callout, inviting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and collectives from all over Australia to submit their entries to the prize. From within the strong contention, 26 artists were shortlisted by the judging panel, which this year consisted of Museums Victoria Senior Curator Kimberley Moulton (Yorta Yorta), leading contemporary artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, and artist and 2018 ICA finalist Penny Evans (Gamilaraay/Gomeroi).
Penny Evans said of the award:
“A diverse range of works submitted for the 2022 ICA from a broad range of practices will make for a vibrant and interesting exhibition of contemporary Indigenous ceramics at the new SAM.”
Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran says:
“It’s amazing to see diverse entries this year that reflect dynamic ways clay has been used by First Nations artists around the country. There is a porosity to this medium that lends itself to personal, political and imaginative explorations. Shepparton Art Museum, with its extensive ceramics collection and resources is the perfect context for this award. I can’t wait to see the exhibition and to re-energise ways we think about ceramics.”
Kimberley Moulton says:
"This national Indigenous art award shares with us the breadth of First Peoples creative practice and new ways of working. It's exciting to see artists that are stepping into ceramics in experimental ways, pushing their practice and materiality, and also artists that are familiar with this medium creating dynamic works that share story and knowledge. It is not only a strong representation of the talent in the nation, but it is significant to see the works in the award at Shepparton Art Museum in dialogue with the expansive ceramics collection of the organisation which is important in profiling the role First Peoples artists have in the national and international discourse of ceramic arts."
Presented on Yorta Yorta Country, the award provides a national platform to share personal, historical and deep cultural learnings from artists and Country. It celebrates and supports the rich and diverse use of the ceramic medium by Indigenous artists and acknowledges the special industry of ceramic art. There are three major prizes for finalists to secure: The Major Acquisitive Prize of $20,000, South-East Australian Aboriginal Artist Prize of $5,000 and the People’s Choice Award of $1,500.
In a further adaptation to its format, the 2022 ICA will see the inclusion of a selected feature artist, who will exhibit a new body of work parallel to the finalists’ works. In addition to sitting on the judging panel, Penny Evans has been commissioned as this year’s feature artist, and will create a site-responsive ceramic work that celebrates Indigenous ceramicists and their long-standing connection to clay.
Belinda Briggs, SAM Indigenous Curator, says:
“The ICA continues to showcase exciting, thoughtful, and deeply considered works from artists just beginning through to those more established, representing a diverse range of communities. It’s also a privilege to have Penny return to the ICA in two capacities as both judge and feature artist. We welcome her extensive experience of over 30 years of practice and knowledge to the Award - we can't wait to see this new body of work inspired by her Gamilaraay/Gomeroi Country in our new gallery.”
The SAM ICA 2022 exhibition will open on Saturday 13 August, and will be on display until 4 December 2022. The official opening and award ceremony will be held at SAM on Saturday 8 October 2022, accompanied by a cultural program on 8 and 9 October celebrating the artists and the rich history of ceramics within Aboriginal and First Nations culture.
Announcing the 2022 ICA finalists
Alfred Lowe, Arrernte (NT)
Alison Milyika Carroll, Pukatja / Pitjantjatjara (NT)
Anne Thompson, Pukatja/ Pitjantjatjara (NT)
Bankstown Koori Elders Group (NSW)
- Lorna Morgan Waka-Waka, Darumbal (North Queensland), Lillian Johnson Waka-Waka, Gubbi Gubbi (North Queensland), Gloria Peronchik Waka-Waka Gangulu (North Queensland), Beverley Gilmartin Wiradjuri (NSW), Victoria Woods Wiradjuri (NSW), Margaret Foat, Bowenstick (S.A), Lola Simmons Wailwan (Central NSW), John Simmons Non Aboriginal
Beth Inkamala Mbitjana, Ntaria Western Aranda (NT)
Billy Bain, Darug (NSW)
Carlene Thompson, Pukatja / Pitjantjatjara (NT)
Debbie Taylor – Worley, Gamilaraay/Gomeroi (NSW)
Elisa Jane Carmichael, Ngugi (QLD)
Elizabeth Dunn, Pukatja / Pitjantjatjara (NT)
Hayley Coulthard Panangka, Ntaria Western Aranda (NT)
Jock Puautjimi, Tiwi (NT)
Megan Croydon, Kuku Yalanji (QLD)
Philip Denham, Girramay (QLD)
Philomena Yeatman, Gunggandji (QLD)
Rupert Jack, Pukatja/ Pitjantjatjara (NT)
Sean Miller, Gamilaroi (NSW)
Tjunkaya Tapaya OAM, Pukatja/ Pitjantjatjara (NT)
Vivian Pingkayi Thompson, Pukatja / Pitjantjatjara (NT)
Highlights of the 2022 ICA
- 27 artists will exhibit as finalists, plus one feature artist
- 16 language groups represented
- Prizes
- Major Acquisitive Prize
$20,000
- South-East Australian Aboriginal Artist Prize
$5,000
- People’s Choice Award
$1,500
- Judging panel: Kimberley Moulton (Yorta Yorta), Museums Victoria Senior Curator; Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, leading contemporary artist; Penny Evans (Gamilaraay/Gomeroi), 2018 ICA finalist
ENDS
About SAM:
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM), located on Yorta Yorta Country, is one of Australia's outstanding regional art museums, showcasing our exhibitions and collections in new and exciting ways and creating a welcoming, inclusive, and engaging space for all audiences. Artists are central to our work. Our programming is designed to be locally relevant and engage with global contemporary ideas. SAM is recognised for its significant Australian ceramics collection, and our nationally significant collection of Indigenous art. As the only public art museum in Greater Shepparton and north central Victoria, our mission is to present great art in Shepparton, and to contribute to the cultural enrichment, community engagement and economic prosperity of the region.
Media enquiries, please contact: Louise Tremper, Marketing Coordinator, SAM
p: (03) 4804 5026 e: ltremper@sheppartonartmuseum.com.au