Major private collection to show at SAM this summer
28 September 2023
Major private collection featuring artworks from international and Australian contemporary artists coming to SAM this summer.
The Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is delighted to announce their upcoming summer exhibition The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another, which will showcase treasures from the extensive art collection of Matthias Arndt and Tiffany Wood from 11 November 2023.
Presenting over 40 artworks from renowned international artists, including UK sensation Gilbert & George, German-born Joseph Beuys and Spanish master Pablo Picasso, alongside contemporary Australian artists, including Del Kathryn Barton, David Noonan and Ben Quilty, The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another is a major exhibition that celebrates the passion of collecting.
Matthias Arndt and Tiffany Wood say of the exhibition:
"We are so extremely pleased to have this opportunity to present and share our love of art with audiences at the Shepparton Art Museum through this curated presentation of the ARNDT Collection. This exhibition includes artworks close to our heart, and we are thrilled to work with this state-of-the-art facility and team to open up a dialogue about art collecting and our experiences working within the contemporary art field over the last three decades.”
Whilst works from the collection are featured in Arndt and Wood’s Cape Schanck-based The Artbarn throughout the years, The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another will mark the first major presentation of the ARNDT Collection in a public institution in Australia. The exhibition will feature in both the People’s Gallery on Level 2 and the ceramics showcase on Level 1 of the museum.
Melinda Martin, SAM CEO, says:
“SAM is excited for this opportunity to present an exhibition of such exceptional work from across the world here in Shepparton. Matthias Arndt and Tiffany Wood have generously opened their personal collection to the Shepparton community, allowing us to share in their passion of collecting, championing, and nurturing artists throughout their careers. We invite everyone to celebrate the rare experience of enjoying this private collection by indulging in as many visits as they desire during its time at SAM.”
Jessica O’Farrell, SAM Head of Exhibitions and Collections, says:
“When considering how we best showcase the ARNDT Collection, we wanted to ensure that the essence of Matthias and Tiffany as collectors was felt across the exhibition. For example, we’ll present a large selection of Picasso ceramics in our Level 1 showcase located next to the café, where patrons can admire the works as they enjoy their coffee. With this approach, we’re able to reflect the way the collectors live with these ceramics within their home – that is, embedded within their communal gathering spaces. In doing so, our visitors will be able to experience these masterpieces of the ARNDT Collection as they do, with friends and family in a relaxed environment.”
The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another will open to the public on 11 November at the Shepparton Art Museum. Entry to this exhibition, and all exhibitions at SAM, is free.
Programs and special events will be announced throughout the duration of the show.
Gilbert & George, Union Dance (detail), 2008, JACK FREAK PICTURES. Courtesy ARNDT Collection. © Gilbert & George.
Deep Dive: A new lecture series with The University of Melbourne launches at SAM
28 September 2023
Dive deep at the Shepparton Art Museum: A new lecture series with The University of Melbourne.
The Shepparton Art Museum is pleased to present a new lecture series, SAM Deep Dives with The University of Melbourne to be hosted at SAM in September, October and November 2023.
Focusing on the themes and ideas explored in SAM’s Collection exhibition Dance Me to the End of Love, which showcases the much-loved Sam Jinks’ Woman and Child, SAM Deep Dives 2023, will investigate death, technology and the art of poetry.
Gabriella Calandro, Head of Engagement says:
“This new lecture series is an opportunity for guests to see the exhibition through a different lens and dive deep into the themes and ideas presented in the show. We hope guests will walk away with a new perspective on the exhibition and maybe a few interesting facts to start a conversation with friends and family.
The Shepparton Art Museum and The University of Melbourne have a dynamic and long lasting partnership and we are excited to be able to work across different departments at the University and host a range of academics here at SAM over the next three months.”
Starting on Wednesday 27 September, the DeathTech Research Team will look at the intersection between death and science and how artists have brought research and complex theories to life. In October Dr Tyne Sumner will dig into the SAM Collection alongside the lyrics and poetry of Leonard Cohen and other singer-songwriters. The series will conclude in November with Dr Danny Butt focusing on the much-loved Sam Jinks’ Woman and Child and explore why this work continues to move visitors time and time again.
All lectures are free and will be hosted both in person at the Shepparton Art Museum and online. Sign up at the SAM website to secure your seat and receive the link.
SAM Deep Dives with The University of Melbourne:
Wednesday 27 September
6 to 7pm
DeathTech: Michael Arnold and Tamarah Kohn
Saturday 21 October
2 to 3pm
Dr Tyne Sumner
Thursday 9 November
6 to 7pm
Dr Danny Butt
Featured image: Penny Byrne, The Four Horsemen of the 21st Century Apocalypse, 2009. Shepparton Art Museum. Photo: Leon Schoots.
Beci Orpin to present new exhibition in SAM Children’s Gallery
28 September 2023
Beci Orpin to present a new exhibition in Shepparton Art Museum’s Children’s Gallery from 16 September 2023.
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is pleased to present a new Children’s Gallery exhibition MUSH/ROOM opening this Saturday 15 September. Created by Melbourne-based visual artist Beci Orpin, the exhibition looks at the process of forming and playing with ideas through playful gigantic and tiny mushrooms and fungi.
Beci Orpin is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and author recognisable for her joyous colour and animation. Over her 25-year career, Orpin has collaborated with major brands and organisations including Apple, Google, Disney, Uniqlo and The Australian Ballet, and has lectured and led workshops at national institutions including the National Gallery of Victoria, Craft Victoria and Melbourne Design Week.
Using a range of found, donated, and hand-made materials, Orpin’s MUSH/ROOM transforms the Children’s Gallery into a whimsical and playful room of mushrooms that will fascinate visitors of all ages.
SAM Curator, Caroline Esbenshade says “SAM is excited to have Beci exhibiting with us in the Children’s Gallery. She has produced several projects, exhibitions and publications geared towards kids and we know that MUSH/ROOM will be a hit with visitors.
Featuring a giant mushroom and clusters of smaller fungi crafted from a variety of colourful materials, it’s the perfect setting for a game of ‘I Spy’ while considering how ideas develop.”
Families and children of all ages will enjoy the in-gallery activities with imagination taking the lead, “the SAM Art Card drawing series continues with MUSH/ROOM as visitors are prompted to envisage their own funky and fun fungi to go on display next to the exhibition” says Ms Esbenshade.
Additional programming will also be available throughout the duration of the exhibition, including a SAM Baby and a partnership with GV Libraries. More information on these programs will be available on the SAM website in the coming weeks.
Beci Orpin: MUSH/ROOM will be on display at SAM from 16 September 2023 until March 2024. Entry to SAM is free – view the full list of exhibitions on our website: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/
Featured image: Artist Beci Orpin in MUSH/ROOM in the SAM Children's Gallery, Shepparton Art Museum, 2023.
New Art Wall commission opens at SAM
28 September 2023
Shepparton Art Museum to launch a bold and colourful new Art Wall for all to enjoy on 19 August.
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is pleased to present its latest Art Wall this August 2023. The new work by Victorian-based artist Emma Coulter, titled spatial deconstruction #30 (social fabric), will be a colourful response to the state-of the-art SAM building. The installation will be the fourth commission for the Furphy Family Art Wall on SAM’s Level 4.
Emma Coulter is a visual artist working across painting, sculpture, installation, and public art. Her work spans bold compositions that explore space, perception and colour. A distinguishing feature of her work is her limited colour palette and geometric designs. Through her repeated use of these same formal elements, Coulter creates a visual language that connects her practice across diverse mediums.
spatial deconstruction #30 (social fabric) breaks down the building’s architectural features and reinterprets them through Coulter’s artistic lens using vibrant colours and sharp forms, creating a composition that is both uniquely Coulter’s, and a distinct reflection on the vertical geometry of SAM.
Jessica O’Farrell, SAM Exhibitions Curator, says of the exhibitions:
“Emma Coulter has engaged with the scale and architecture of SAM to create a dynamic new work that reframes our understanding of the building, and the space within it. Her work draws on the idea of SAM being both an ‘art container’ as well as a communal space for gathering and connecting. Emma’s ingenuity in repeatedly using her unique palette of colours to create endless new compositions is fascinating and exciting.
Emma has exhibited extensively nationally and internationally – we’re thrilled to host her in Shepparton while she creates this new artwork that responds to the fabric of SAM. Her work is deliciously bold and colourful, and we hope that visitors to our Level 4 enjoy her Art Wall in the coming months.”
spatial deconstruction #30 (social fabric) will be on display at SAM from 19 August 2023 until May 2024. Entry to SAM is free – view the full list of exhibitions on our website: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/
Featured image: Artist Emma Coulter with Art Wall commission spatial deconstruction #30 (social fabric), Shepparton Art Museum, 2023.