Shepparton Art Museum is inviting young creatives aged 16-25 to exhibit their work in SAM Fresh 2024
10 January 2024
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is inviting submissions from young creatives aged between 16-25 years living, working, or studying in the Goulburn Valley and Hume regions to exhibit as part of SAM Fresh 2024.
The exhibition aims to create a space within the museum’s Community Gallery that celebrates the blossoming arts scene amongst the region’s new generation of creatives. Submissions to the exhibition can be of works in any medium, and of any theme or subject.
Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, says of Fresh:
“We’re so excited to be presenting a new format of SAM Fresh in 2024. We have listened to community feedback and are now opening the eligibility to a wider age group. This acknowledges that for many young people in the community that arts aren’t just for the classroom–you can have a creative outlet or passionate hobby outside of school or work. This opportunity creates a platform for young local artists to share their experiences and perspective of the world and hopefully will foster a lifelong engagement with the arts.”
An information session for those interested in learning more about SAM Fresh will be held at SAM on 8 February 2024 from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. Applications for SAM Fresh can be submitted via the SAM website from 13 January, and close on 18 March. Learn more about SAM Fresh via the SAM website: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/whats-on/upcoming/sam-fresh-2024/
SAM Fresh 2024 Details:
- Open to creatives aged 16-25 years
- Applicants must be living, working or studying in the Goulburn Valley or Hume Region.
Applications open: 13 January 2024
Applications close: 18 March 2024
Application guidelines on the SAM Website: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAM-FRESH-2024_Guidelines.pdf
Information session: 8 February 2024, 5.30 to 6.30pm. RSVP: https://events.humanitix.com/sam-fresh-information-session
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 to create 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 culture of this country and contemporary multicultural Australia.
Featured image: SAM Fresh, installation view, Shepparton Art Museum, 2021. Photo: Cam Matheson
SAM Selects, SAM Spotlight 2024 artists announced
12 December 2023
Shepparton Art Museum announces Jen Valender and Carmel Robertson as 2024 Community Gallery artists.
The Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is pleased to announce that multidisciplinary artist Jen Valender has been selected as the successful applicant to the SAM Selects exhibition program for 2024. The SAM Selects exhibition program allows artists, creatives, curators, and community groups to submit a recent creative project to be exhibited in SAM’s Hugh D.T Williamson Community Gallery. Applications for the space are reviewed by an external panel. Valender will become the third artist to participate in SAM Selects, with her exhibition Field opening 3 February 2024.
Created during her artistic residency at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus as part of the Centre of Visual Arts’ Art + Ecology program, Valender’s SAM Selects exhibition Field features a multi-channel video installation made up of four moving image works: Re-search, Bovine Harp, Artist as Animal, and Sediment. The exhibition will also display a set of wind harps created from antique surveyor’s equipment, and a soundscape created using the harps. Set amongst the fluorescent canola fields and dairy farms of Dookie, each film combines sculpture, performance, and video to explore various aspects of agricultural life and the relationship between art and the natural world.
Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, says of Valender:
“Jen is in an extremely exciting place in her career—she exhibited widely in 2023, including at MPavillion in Melbourne, and was recently selected as a regional winner in the M&C Saatchi Group & Saatchi Gallery Art for Change Prize, with two of her works currently on display at Saatchi Gallery in London. We are delighted to have her as part of our 2024 exhibition program and to be the first to present these works together, highlighting her experience of making work in response to the region. We hope the exhibition will bring a new perspective of the Goulburn Vallery for locals and visitors alike.”
Later in 2024 SAM’s Community Gallery will feature a new body of work from local artist Carmel Robertson, who has been selected as the 2024 SAM Spotlight artist. SAM Spotlight is an annual paid opportunity for an emerging solo artist based in the Goulburn Valley and Hume region to work closely with the SAM Curator – Community to develop a new body of work for exhibition. Successful artists are selected through an application process, which is also reviewed by an appointed panel.
Jen Valender: Field will open at SAM on 3 February 2024, with SAM Spotlight: Carmel Robertson to open in November 2024.
About the artists:
Jen Valender is a multidisciplinary artist who creates performative encounters on and with the landscape that raises questions about the relationship between art and the natural world.
Through moving image, she explores the ways in which art may be used as a navigational tool to investigate human and nonhuman connections. Valender has exhibited widely in galleries and museums in Australia, France, Germany, South Africa, and Portugal and holds a Master of Fine Arts (Research) from the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne.
Image: courtesy of the artist
Carmel Robertson is an early career artist living in Shepparton, Victoria. She began painting full-time in 2016 after a 22-year career in art education, teaching art and photography at Notre Dame College in Shepparton. For the past seven years she has been exploring approaches to realism in oil paint and has exhibited in group shows locally, including past SAM Community Gallery exhibitions, and presented a solo exhibition at the Euroa Butter Factory in 2022.
Image: courtesy of the artist
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 to create 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 culture of this country and contemporary multicultural Australia.
Major international photography exhibition YEARBOOK comes to SAM for PHOTO 2024
4 December 2023
Shepparton Art Museum announces major international solo exhibition from USA-based photographer Ryan McGinley as part of PHOTO 2024 regional program.
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is pleased to announce its participation in the biennial PHOTO 2024 festival in March 2024. From 1 March to 14 July 2024, American artist Ryan McGinley's photographic project YEARBOOK will be showing at SAM, marking the artist's first solo exhibition in Australia.
An ever-evolving project, YEARBOOK is a large-scale photographic installation consisting of over seven hundred studio portraits of musicians, artists, and creatives living and working in New York.
A joyful celebration of the diversity of the human body, each photograph in YEARBOOK features its subject posing against vibrant candy-coloured backgrounds, appearing like fashion or rock band promotional posters. Plastered over every available millimeter of the gallery walls, the installation envelops the visitor. Each individual image is a unique portrait that grants the viewer access to a delicate, once-private moment between the photographer and sitter. First presented in 2008, YEARBOOK has featured in several in major public institutions across Japan, Denmark, Korea, and Spain.
Melinda Martin, SAM CEO, says of the exhibition:
“It’s a privilege to be a part of PHOTO 2024, and we’re thrilled to be premiering Ryan McGinley’s work to an Australian audience. Ryan’s work is so vibrant and celebratory, and many people will be able to see themselves reflected in the multitude of bodies represented in his portraits. Despite its scale, each portrait in the installation possesses its own distinct identity; each subject’s unabashed ownership of their moment in front of the camera works as a collective rejection of the ‘perfect body’.”
A regional weekend celebration of PHOTO 2024 and YEARBOOK will take place at SAM on 8 March 2024. Details of the weekend’s program will be announced in 2024. YEARBOOK will be showing at SAM from 1 March until 14 July 2024 with free entry. To learn more about the upcoming PHOTO 2024 program, visit their website: https://photo.org.au/
About Ryan McGinley:
Ryan McGinley is a New York–based photographer. His early photos displayed the unseen intersection of skateboard and graffiti culture, with a strong queer focus. At age twenty-five, he became the youngest artist to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City (NYC). For over a decade, McGinley has road-tripped continuously throughout the United States to create work that incorporates the human body within the American landscape. Dubbed by GQ as “the most important photographer in America”, McGinley can often be found on the streets of NYC participating in queer activism, fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights. McGinley frequently presents international solo gallery and museum exhibitions and has an ongoing studio practice photographing members of NYC’s creative community.
About PHOTO Australia:
PHOTO Australia was founded in 2018 to launch a major new photography biennale in Melbourne and sites across Regional Victoria. Taking place every two years, the festival addresses the major issues of our time in a program of free exhibitions, outdoor displays and artist commissions across the city, as well as awards, talks, workshops, tours and experiences. Presenting ideas critical to contemporary photographic discourse, PHOTO encourages the public to engage with and think about photography and visual culture in new and inspiring ways.
The inaugural festival PHOTO 2021 ‘The Truth’ presented 105 exhibitions by 160 artists. PHOTO 2022 ‘Being Human’ saw presentations of 130 artists across Melbourne including icons Cindy Sherman and Helmut Newton, with British Journal of Photography claiming the biennale is “Australia’s most prestigious photography festival.” Both festivals have attracted a total of more than 250,000 participants. PHOTO 2024 01–24 March ‘The Future Is Shaped by Those Who Can See It’ will be the third edition.
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.
Featured image: Ryan McGinley, YEARBOOK, installation view 'Body Loud' at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, 2016. Courtesy the artist.
Picasso ceramics, a stunning 15th century Renaissance work and more now showing at SAM
16 November 2023
Picasso ceramics, a stunning 15th century Renaissance work and much more are now showing at the Shepparton Art Museum as part of The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another.
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is delighted to welcome audiences to new major exhibition The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another, now showing exclusively at SAM for the summer. Visitors are invited to join international art collector Matthias Arndt on a free guided tour of the exhibition this Friday 17 November at 2pm.
The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another is curated from the private collection of Matthias Arndt and Tiffany Wood. The exhibition features over forty significant artworks spanning painting, film, sculpture, ceramics, photography, works on paper, and furniture design. From One World to Another explores Arndt and Wood’s passion for collecting, weaving together personal narratives that collectively resound with the ARNDT Collection philosophy: that art inspires new ways of experiencing the world.
In exploring the exhibition, visitors will discover one of the oldest works in the collection – a Renaissance-era religious panel from the 15th century by Florentine artist Lippo d’Andrea. Cycling forward through the centuries, visitors can experience a celebration of Black womanhood with South African artist Zandile Tshabalala’s bold, arresting painting Paradise IIIII. Downstairs, a trove of ceramics from Spanish artist Pablo Picasso can be found on display in the museum’s Level 1 showcase.
Melinda Martin, SAM CEO, says of the exhibition:
“SAM is thrilled to present this rare glimpse into Matthias and Tiffany’s private collection. This exhibition is an exciting moment for SAM and features the work of leading artists that can often only be seen in major European galleries. The selection from the ARNDT Collection that we have displayed includes works from artists that many will know, such as Picasso, Sophie Calle, and Gilbert & George, along with contemporary artists that many may be encountering for the first time.”
To hear the story behind the exhibition directly from the collector, join Matthias Arndt for a free guided tour at SAM on 17 November at 2PM. The tour will provide attendees with an opportunity to gain a deeper, more personal understanding of the growth of the ARNDT Collection and the passion of the collectors that have built it. Bookings for the tour can be made via Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/arndt-collection-or-from-one-world-to-another-exhibition-opening-lunch-with-matthias-arndt
The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another will be showing at Shepparton Art Museum from 11 November 2023 until 10 March 2024. Entry to this exhibition, and all exhibitions at SAM, is free.
Further programs and special events will be announced throughout the duration of the show.
Image: The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another, installation view, Shepparton Art Museum, 2023.
Photo: Leon Schoots.
Step into the world of The ARNDT Collection at SAM this summer.
31 October 2023
Step into the world of The ARNDT Collection at SAM this summer.
Showing exclusively at Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) this summer, new major exhibition The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another provides an insight into the private art collection of Matthias Arndt and Tiffany Wood.
Curated by Rachael Vance, Director and Curator of the ARNDT Collection, From One World to Another explores Arndt and Wood’s passion for collecting and the special, lasting relationships that are developed with artists through collecting their work. Featuring over forty significant artworks spanning painting, film, sculpture, ceramics, photography, works on paper, and furniture design, the exhibition weaves together an array of personal narratives that collectively resound with the ARNDT Collection philosophy: that art inspires new ways of experiencing the world.
Matthias Arndt and Tiffany Wood say of the collaboration:
“As art collectors, we take great pleasure in acquiring artworks and cherishing them in our daily lives. However, collecting art carries a profound responsibility and the privilege of sharing the art we're passionate about with a broad audience.
This is why we’re particularly thrilled about collaborating with SAM and the opportunity to showcase a carefully curated selection from our art collection, engaging in a dialogue with a larger audience. My encounter with contemporary art has been life-changing, and working in this field and collecting art is a continuous source of inspiration and wonder.
We extend our warmest thanks to the visitors of SAM and our exhibition. Above all, we wish them a wealth of encounters, joy, inspiration, and a deep appreciation for the transforming powers of art.”
Highlights of the exhibition include a selection of Pablo Picasso’s ceramics, UK duo Gilbert & George’s photo-collage Union Dance (2008), French artist Sophie Calle’s mixed media The view of my life (2020) and Filipino artist Rodel Tapaya’s painting Beaten with many stripes (2020), as well as works from renowned Australian artists Del Kathryn Barton and Ben Quilty. Echoing the way in which much of the ARNDT Collection fills the home of the collectors, the exhibition design incorporates living space elements that lend the gallery a more intimate, personal atmosphere that emulates the residence of Arndt and Wood.
While the exhibition primarily occupies the museum’s People’s Gallery on Level 2, the display extends to the ceramics showcase outside of the Elsewhere at SAM Café to highlight Picasso’s ceramics alongside sculptural works from German-born artist Joseph Beuys, allowing visitors to experience the artworks as the collectors do – amongst friends, family, food, and conversation.
Rachael Vance, Director and Curator of the ARNDT Collection, says of the curating the exhibition:
"From One World to Another illuminates the intimate and beautiful evolution of shaping an art collection. However, finding a harmonious balance between such an array of distinctive artistic voices was complex due to the abundance of world-class pieces within the collection's holdings.
A significant element in curating the exhibition within a museum context was the importance in recognising private collections as contemporary sources that actively frame the public’s relation to art and current artistic influences. This interplay between the public and private spheres was integral to acknowledge. With this sentiment, I am so extremely thrilled to let the world in to see this first institutional exhibition from the ARNDT Collection."
Following the exhibition’s opening to the public on 11 November 2023, visitors are invited to join Matthias Arndt for a free, exclusive guided tour of the exhibition at SAM on 17 November at 2PM. The tour will provide attendees with an opportunity to gain a deeper, more personal understanding of the growth of the ARNDT Collection and the passion of the collectors that have built it. Bookings for the tour can be made via Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/arndt-collection-or-from-one-world-to-another-exhibition-opening-lunch-with-matthias-arndt
The ARNDT Collection: From One World to Another will be showing at Shepparton Art Museum from 11 November 2023 until 10 March 2024. Entry to this exhibition, and all exhibitions at SAM, is free.
Further programs and special events will be announced throughout the duration of the show.
List of featured artists:
Del Kathryn Barton, Joseph Beuys, Kwesi Botchway, Sophie Calle, Joe Colombo, Lippo d’Andrea, Johnson Eziefula, Rainer Fetting, Zaachariaha Fielding, Gilbert & George, Thomas Hirschhorn, Jitish Kallat, Alicja Kwade, Tahnee Lonsdale, Heinz Mack, David Noonan, Pablo Picasso, Sigmar Polke, Ben Quilty, Julian Rosefeldt, Gareth Sansom, Rodel Tapaya, Zandile Tshabalala, Xiyao Wang, Ambera Wellmann, and Franz West.
Image: Gilbert & George, Union Dance (detail), 2008, JACK FREAK PICTURES. Courtesy of ARNDT Collection.
© Gilbert & George.
30 October 2023
Celebrate local artists at the closing event of After the Rain at Shepparton Art Museum.
The official closing celebration for current Shepparton Art Museum exhibition After the Rain will take place on Saturday 14 October from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. After the Rain features the work of selected members from Echuca-based arts group Tuesday Junction and reflects on their experiences of the 2022 flood event that impacted the region. The exhibition was selected as the 2023 SAM EOI exhibition, which allows local artists, curators, creative practitioners and community groups an opportunity to propose and present an existing project within the SAM Community Gallery through a call-out and application process.
The closing celebration will feature a panel discussion between artists Jill Kenley, Anne Mawson, Bronwyn Morton, Carolyn Rolls, Penny Silver, Rebecca Wells, Kerry Williams and SAM Curator – Community Caroline Esbenshade. The group will explore their individual art practices and their collective experiences of the flood disaster as expressed through their creative responses.
For visitors with an interest in growing their art skills, Tuesday Junction artists Bronwyn Morton and Penny Silver will lead a hands-on workshop on Saturday morning prior to the exhibition celebration. In the workshop, titled Colliding on Canvas with Penny Silver and Bronwyn Morton, the artists will guide participants through the process of creating mixed-media artworks informed by their own practices.
Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, says of the events:
“This closing event is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate the passion and talent of the Tuesday Junction artists, as well as reflect on our collective resilience and progress in recovering from the devastation of last year’s floods. We’d love to see as many people there as possible to support our local creatives and share in an afternoon of art, conversation and connection. The workshop is also an incredible opportunity for people to learn from exhibiting artists and get creative in a relaxed and supportive environment.”
The Colliding on Canvas workshop will take place in the SAM Level 2 Workshop from 10am to 1pm on Saturday 14 October, followed by the After the Rain exhibition closing celebration in the SAM Community Gallery on Level 2. Attendance at the exhibition closing celebration is free, while the workshop participation ticket price is $75. Further details and registration links can be found on the SAM website: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/events/?tribe_eventcategory%5B%5D=21
Image: Tuesday Junction: After the Rain, installation view, Shepparton Art Museum 2023. Photo: Leon Schoots.
17 October 2023
Echuca-based artist Ellen Lee to open her SAM Spotlight exhibition at Shepparton Art Museum on 21 October 2023.
A new exhibition entitled Landscape; of sight, of sound, featuring the work of Echuca-based artist Ellen Lee, will be showing at Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) in the Hugh D.T Williamson Community Gallery from 21 October 2023 until 28 January 2024 as the latest instalment of the museum’s annual SAM Spotlight program.
Lee, an emerging artist working in graphite and watercolour, presents her sensory experience of nature through a series of large-scale abstract works on paper. Lee translates her experiences of Echuca’s Banyula Forest into her creative practice by creating layers of gestural marks and pigments that convey her unique interpretation of the landscape. Through the artworks, the exhibition offers a shared moment of reflection and tranquility in nature between the artist and viewer.
Designed to showcase the work of early-career professional artists in the region, SAM Spotlight is a dedicated solo exhibition opportunity, with feature artists identified through an open expression-of-interest process. SAM Spotlight is a commissioned opportunity, with participating artists receiving an artist fee and stipend for artwork production.
Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, says of the exhibition:
“Over the last year Ellen Lee has pushed her practice, expanding the scale of her drawings dramatically – including one over five meters in length. The artworks envelop viewers in a meditative impression of landscape.
Our Spotlight opportunity provides a fantastic opportunity for local creatives to extend their practice and be supported by the SAM team. I hope artists and members of the community who visit are inspired by the show, and perhaps even learn about a new drawing technique.”
Landscape; of sight, of sound will open on Saturday 21 October 2023 and will run until 28 January 2024.
Image: Ellen Lee portrait, courtesy of Ellen Lee.
Statement from Shepparton Art Museum Ltd in support of the Voice to Parliament
13 October 2023
Shepparton Art Museum Ltd (SAM) supports the recognition of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Constitution through the proposed Voice to Parliament.
SAM believes that voting “Yes” for this voice to the Australian Government is a positive step forward in creating a stronger future for First Nations people.
We are committed to supporting First Nations people in having their voices heard. SAM will continue to work with Yorta Yorta people upon whose lands we live and work, and will continue to create opportunities for First Nations people across Australia to come together to respect and celebrate their cultures through art, creative practice, and our shared histories.
SAM encourages everyone to seek the information needed to make an informed decision on the Referendum by visiting https://voice.gov.au/
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.
JamFactory ICON Kunmanara Carroll: Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki (I Can See All Those Places) to open at SAM
6 July 2023
Victorian exclusive at the Shepparton Art Museum: Major touring exhibition JamFactory ICON Kunmanara Carroll: Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki (I Can See All Those Places) to open 1 July.
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is proud to partner with JamFactory, Adelaide to present a survey exhibition of Luritja/Pintupi/Pitjantjatjara artist Kunmanara Carroll, showing from 1 July to 22 October 2023. JamFactory ICON Kunmanara Carroll: Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki (I Can See All Those Places) is a major solo exhibition showcasing a significant body of Carroll’s final ceramic works and paintings, supported by a tapestry produced by the Australian Tapestry Workshop. The exhibition is touring to 12 venues nationally until mid-2024, with SAM as the exclusive Victorian venue on the exhibition’s tour.
Born in 1950, Kunmanara Carroll lived and worked in Pukatja in the APY Lands from the age of 19. He joined Ernabella Arts in 2009 following his retirement from the health and community fields, and in time established himself as one of the art centre’s most senior and revered practitioners. Carroll remained a respected elder in the Pukatja community until his recent death in 2021 and is survived by his wife, artist Alison Milyika Carroll, also a respected senior within the community.
Over his creative career, Carroll’s paternal homeland served as an unwavering source of inspiration and a recurring subject within his painting and ceramic sculpture practice. In 2017, a project entitled Mark and Memory brought Carroll back to his grandmother’s and father’s Country near Kintore (NT) and Kiwirrkura (WA). The works inspired by this visit, created over 2020 and 2021, make up the body of Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki. The captivating artworks, complemented by the collaborative textile created with the Australian Tapestry Workshop, merge Carroll’s deep knowledge of Country with his beautifully intricate yet minimalist style.
Belinda Briggs, SAM Curator – Indigenous, says of the exhibition:
“Kunmanara Carroll’s practice spans a mere 10 years, but in the body of his clay vessels and across his mark-making are stories older than life itself. His paintings and ceramics display a masterful relationship between mind, spirit, heart and hands. Through this exhibition, Carroll sustains the cultural continuum of passing on knowledge and love of Country through paint and clay.”
Since 2013, JamFactory’s annual ICON exhibitions have celebrated the achievements of South Australia’s most influential visual artists working in craft-based media. Kunmanara Carroll is the first Aboriginal artist to be featured in the JamFactory ICON series since its inception. The exhibition is accompanied by a major monograph publication, which will be available for purchase from the SAM Shop during the exhibition’s duration.
The exhibition will be supported by a number of public and educational programs and resources. The official exhibition opening of Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki will take place during SAM at Sunset, the museum’s monthly late-night program, on Thursday 27 July.
JamFactory ICON Kunmanara Carroll: Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki (I Can See All Those Places) will be showing at SAM from 1 July until 22 October. Entry to the museum and the exhibition is free.
JamFactory ICON Kunmanara Carroll: Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki (I Can See All Those Places) is a JamFactory touring exhibition. JamFactory ICON Kunmanara Carroll: Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki (I Can See All Those Places) has been assisted by the South Australian Government through the Department for Innovation and Skills and the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, Contemporary Touring Initiative.
Ernabella Arts and the Carroll family gratefully acknowledge support from the Government of South Australia through Arts SA and the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council for the Arts and the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program.
FEATURED IMAGE: Kunmanara Carroll, Walungurru, 2020, stoneware, 550 x 300 x 640 mm and 430x 140 x 240 mm (2 piece); Kiwirrkura, 2020, stoneware, 505 x 170 x 185 mm. Photo: Grant Hancock
New children’s exhibition Little big, Big little now open at Shepparton Art Museum.
6 July 2023
New children’s exhibition Little big, Big little now open at Shepparton Art Museum.
Shepparton Art Museum’s (SAM) latest exhibition Little big, Big little is now open in the SAM Children’s Gallery. Utilising artworks from SAM’s own collection, this vibrant show has been designed for young audiences, and provides parents and carers with the opportunity to engage with children in creative play while introducing them to elements and principles of art, such as colour, scale, rhythm, and texture.
The works on display demonstrate a range of artistic movements, forms, and concepts and are presented in a colourful, dynamic space that encourages exploration and curiosity. Artists whose works are featured in the show include Renee So, Naomi Hobson and Barrie Goddard.
Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, says of the exhibition:
“With this exhibition we’ve created a space that is full of colour and have selected artworks from a range of eras with engaging textures and shapes to create a fun and inviting space for kids. We hope a trip to SAM, particularly the Children’s Gallery, will inspire kids to engage in the arts and get creative themselves - we have a drawing activity in the gallery should inspiration strike! We haven't yet had a SAM Collection show in the Children’s Gallery; hopefully, visitors both big and small enjoy the show and come away with a better understanding of how different artists use different approaches in artworks they see inside and outside of SAM.”
Each work has a wall label designed for kids or the young at heart and can be used as prompts to consider and understand specific elements of the artworks. Extended labels are also available to equip adults with additional information to encourage further conversation between children and parents. Artworks have been displayed at a lower height to help smaller children interact with the works and take in their full detail.
In addition to the exhibition, visitors can let their imagination loose with a number of activities available within the space. The activities, inspired by the artworks, are designed to help audiences of all ages engage more deeply with the exhibition and exercise their own creativity within the vibrant space. Visitors are invited to leave their creations in the box provided for SAM to display each week in celebration of the creativity of our community.
Little big, Big little is now showing at Shepparton Art Museum until 3 September 2023. Entry is free – SAM is open six days, 10am-4pm from Wednesday to Monday and 10am-5pm on weekends. SAM is closed on Tuesdays.
Featured image: Little big, Big little, installation view, Shepparton Art Museum, 2023. Photo: Leon Schoots
Artists in conversation, art making activities and music return on 25 May at SAM at Sunset
6 July 2023
Artists in conversation, art making activities and music return to SAM on 25 May as part of SAM at Sunset
Shepparton Art Museum’s (SAM) monthly late-night program SAM at Sunset returns on Thursday 25 May from 5pm with an evening of art, talks, drinks and live music. Visitors are invited to explore the galleries after dark and enjoy drinks and music at the museum’s Level 4 function space.
At 6pm Ash Keating, the Melbourne-based artist behind SAM’s current major exhibition ELEVATION, will share his creative journey, exploring the evolution of his distinct style. He will be joined by Blackartprojects Director David Hagger, who works closely on major public art projects with Keating, and SAM CEO Melinda Martin.
Visitors can also enjoy a tour with SAM staff highlighting key works from SAM’s extensive art collection, which has been built over the museum’s 87-year history.
The Level 4 Bar will once again be open for an evening of drinks and nibbles, where guests can watch the sun set with a live DJ set from Shepparton-based online record store Record Per Tutti. Attendees will also have the opportunity to get creative with a hands-on still-life sketching activity, featuring ceramics from the SAM Collection. With its relaxed atmosphere, the terrace bar is perfect for after-work drinks, date night, or a catch-up with friends. All galleries and the museum shop will be open for extended-hours access and evening shopping.
Gabriella Calandro, SAM Head of Engagement, says of the program:
“We are excited to have Ash return to SAM and dive a little deeper into his fascinating artistic practice. With only one month left of ELEVATION, this conversation with Ash, David and Melinda will be one of the last chances for our community to engage with the artist directly about the show and his work. SAM at Sunset, on the whole, is a great opportunity for people to enjoy SAM after hours. Late-night gallery programs are popular across the world, and it’s great to see our community embrace this culture and come to enjoy the museum after dark.”
SAM at Sunset will be held on Thursday 25 May from 5pm to 8pm. Entry to the museum and to the talks are free; tickets to the Level 4 bar and live music are now on sale via Trybooking or can be purchased on the night: https://www.trybooking.com/CIGDE
SAM Open 2023: Home now showing; SAM EOI & SAM Spotlight artists announced
8 May 2023
Annual community exhibition SAM Open 2023: Home now showing at Shepparton Art Museum.
SAM Open 2023, Shepparton Art Museum’s (SAM) annual open-call group exhibition, opened in the museum’s Hugh D.T Williamson Community Gallery on Saturday 29 April. The callout for entries to the exhibition resulted in 83 submissions from artists and creatives living or working in the Goulburn Valley and Hume regions. All 83 entries are displayed in the exhibition, with each work reflecting the artists’ unique responses to the theme of ‘home’.
SAM Open celebrates and showcases the creativity of the artistic community across the Goulburn Valley and the Hume Regions. The works on display span an array of styles and approaches, including landscapes, portraiture and sculpture.
SAM Open provides an opportunity to bring together local practitioners to share their creativity with audiences and presents their work in dialogue with exhibitions by nationally recognised Australian artists. The featured works in SAM Open 2023: Home explore the theme through domestic objects and spaces, nature, pets, and people. The range of perspectives represented creates opportunities for viewers to reflect on their impression of home, connecting them to ideas that resonate with or are different to their own experience of what ‘home’ is.
Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, says of the exhibition:
“It has been wonderful to see such a diversity of responses to ‘Home.’ Some common themes emerge but are all expressed through a variety of techniques and styles – there really is something for everyone. This show is beautiful snapshot of the creativity of our community.”
Later in the year, annual exhibitions SAM EOI and SAM Spotlight will feature in the Community Gallery. SAM EOI, an annual opportunity for artists, curators, creative practitioners and community groups to propose and present an exhibition, will feature the work of Echuca-based artist collective Tuesday Junction in July 2023 following their successful proposal. In October, SAM Spotlight, an annual paid solo exhibition opportunity for emerging artists in the region, will feature a new body of work from Echuca-based artist Ellen Lee following her successful application.
SAM Open 2023: Home will be showing at Shepparton Art Museum from 29 April until 16 July 2023.
Popular evening event SAM at Sunset’s April program to feature free artist talks, kids tours, exhibition design conversations, group photography and live music
24 April 2023
Shepparton Art Museum’s (SAM) monthly late-night program SAM at Sunset returns in April with an evening of art, talks, drinks and live music. Beginning at the new time of 5pm, this month artist Adam John Cullen’s two interconnected exhibitions Three Hares and Three Ears are in the spotlight, with the artist leading a conversation with fellow artist Kate Wallace, gallerist Adam Stone (LON Gallery) and SAM Head of Exhibitions and Collections Jessica O’Farrell.
Following Cullen’s artist talk, visitors can also enjoy a conversation that dives into the exhibition design process behind current SAM Collection show Dance Me to the End of Love with the SAM exhibitions team, delving into the use of colour, light and material to create the unique mood of the show. For kids, a kids-focused tour of Dance Me to the End of Love will be running, leading them on a journey of discovery through the gallery; and for visitors of all ages, group portrait sessions will be held in current Children’s Gallery exhibition All Together, where printed copies of the portraits will be available to take home.
The Level 4 Terrace Bar will once again be open for evening of drinks and nibbles, with live music from local musician Luke Lewis. With its sleek architecture and design, the terrace bar's relaxed, stylish atmosphere is perfect for after-work drinks, date night, or a catch-up with friends. All galleries and the museum shop will be open for extended-hours access and evening shopping.
Gabriella Calandro, SAM Head of Engagement, says of the program:
“SAM at Sunset is unique event in our region that creates a space for our community to come together and explore the museum outside of normal museum hours. It’s perfect as a solo activity, a place to catch up with friends, or as an after-school treat for families to practice creativity together. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for our community to support local creatives and musicians by creating sustainable and regular paid programming opportunities.”
SAM at Sunset will be held on Thursday 27 April from 5pm to 8pm. Entry to the museum and access to the photography session and talks are free; tickets to the Level 4 bar and live music are now on sale via Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/CHJNR
Shepparton Art Museum’s café, Elsewhere at SAM, opens on 22 March with an exciting, flavoursome menu.
22 March 2023
Elsewhere at SAM, the Shepparton Art Museum’s new-look café, is set to open on 22 March with a fresh, vibrant menu spotlighting locally sourced ingredients and global flavours. The new management team, consisting of Ricardo Vilsson Mullor, Alaina Tuckett and Jonathan Chan, together with chef Sean Cameron will create a unique dining experience in the café that reflects the beauty of its surroundings in the museum and Victoria Lake.
The café’s new menu expresses the flavours and agricultural excellence of our region, with a focus on seasonality and sustainability. The ingredients chosen reflect the diverse palate of our community, with flavours from across the globe incorporated to create a menu that is a culinary expression of Greater Shepparton. Visitors can look forward to the return of the Okonomiyaki (Japanese vegetable pancake), as well as baked eggs with Eritrean spices and a new selection of nourishing bowls, with a special menu for dogs to come in the near future for a post-walk treat. The menu will evolve regularly to change with the seasons and the availability of fresh, seasonal produce.
The café will open from 8am and close at 4pm, creating opportunities for early morning diners to purchase their coffee and breakfast on their morning lake walks. Entry before 10am will be available from the north entry at the top of Orchard Hill; assistance with entry from staff will be available for patrons with accessibility needs.
Alaina Tuckett, Elsewhere at SAM Functions & Events Coordinator, says:
“The team at Elsewhere at SAM is incredibly excited to begin our journey at Shepparton Art Museum. We believe that seasonality equals sustainability, and we are committed to using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible to minimise our carbon footprint and support local farmers. Our menu is a true culinary journey that traverses different cultures and palates, featuring dishes that are as diverse as they are delicious. And for our furry friends, we have a special dog treat menu, made with the same care and quality as our human dishes. Our friendly and welcoming team is always ready to make you feel at home in our vibrant, quirky atmosphere. If you need any assistance with accessibility before the museum is open at 10am, one of our amazing team members will be able to assist. Join us at Elsewhere at SAM and experience the magic of sustainable, locally sourced, and globally inspired cuisine!”
All café enquiries can be made via email at hello@elsewhereatsam.com.au and more information can be found on elsewhereatsam.com.au
Image: Elsewhere at SAM café. Shepparton Art Museum, 2023. Photo by Cam Matheson
Collection exhibition Dance Me to the End of Love opens 18 March
10 March 2023
New collection exhibition Dance Me to the End of Love to open at Shepparton Art Museum in March 2023.
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is thrilled to present Dance Me to the End of Love, a new exhibition that reflects on the grand cycles of life through objects from the SAM Collection. Borrowing its name from a song by Canadian artist Leonard Cohen, the exhibition traverses the stages of human existence, from birth to death and beyond. Artworks featured span the course of one hundred and twenty years in diverse mediums, including ceramics, sculpture, painting, printmaking, assemblage, and installation.
Comprising of works from thirty-nine artists, Dance Me to the End of Love shares stories of lives lived and delves into connective experiences of creation, parenthood, spiritualism, life seasons, death, and the afterlife.
Exhibiting artists include Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Nell, Julie Dowling (Badimaya/Warida) and Norah Gurdon. Beloved items from the collection will stage their return to the galleries, and their debut in the new SAM, including Sam Jink’s hyperrealistic Woman and Child. First displayed at SAM in 2010 as part of a single-artwork exhibition, the work garnered an overwhelming response from the community, and was subsequently acquired. The work features a lifelike sculpture of an elderly woman tenderly embracing a newborn baby in an evocative reflection on life’s beginning and end.
Also making its return is Melbourne-based artist Penny Byrne’s darkly humorous 2009 ceramic work The Four Horsemen of the 21st Century Apocalypse. Comprising of four figurines, each horse and its rider confronts the issues that threaten the globe in the 21st century, including overpopulation and shortages of food and water. Pairing found ceramics with reclaimed children’s toys, Byrne juxtaposes the starkness of her subject matter with kitsch in her contemplation of global crises.
Jess O’Farrell, SAM Exhibitions Curator, says of the show:
“For the second major SAM Collection exhibition in the new SAM we wanted to showcase the breadth of our collection by including some all time favourite pieces, such as Woman and Child, and sharing recent acquisitions. Dance Me to the End of Love explores stories of the universal journey of life through artworks that capture emotions and experiences that are difficult to describe in words. In recent years we have been reminded of the fragility of life and our deep need to connect with others. Our hope is that visitors will connect with stories and concepts that deeply resonate with them when viewing the show, and share their own reflections on life with friends and family.”
Dance Me to the End of Love opens at SAM on Saturday 18 March 2023 and will be showing until 11 February 2024 with free entry.
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Full list of exhibiting artists:
Janet Beckhouse, Sarah Boehme, Peter Booth, Godwin Bradbeer, Penny Byrne,
Katthy Cavaliere, Yvonne Cohen, Julie Dowling, Dulcie Enalanga, Ida Enalanga,
Irene Mbitjana Entata, Janet Fieldhouse, Mark Galea, Norah Gurdon, Stanislav Halpern, Brent Harris with John Loane, Noreen Ngala Hudson, Judith Pungkarta Inkamala, Sam Jinks, Esther Ngala Kennedy, David Larwill, Elizabeth Kngwarriya Moketarinja, Hedwig Moketarinja, Elaine Kngwarria Namatjira, Nell, Ann Newmarch, Trevor Nickolls, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Kathleen Petyarre, Hugh Ramsay, Carol Panangka Rontji, Virginia Rontji, Judi Singleton, Sally Smart, Long Tom Tjapanangka, Angela Valamanesh, Hossein Valamanesh, and Maggie Watson.
Curators: Jessica O’Farrell and Shelley McSpedden
Image: Penny Byrne, The Four Horsemen of the 21st Century Apocalypse, 2009, Shepparton Art Museum Collection, purchased, 2009. © Penny Byrne. Photo: Shepparton Art Museum
Ash Keating to open solo exhibition at SAM in March
8 March 2023
Melbourne-based visual artist Ash Keating to open solo exhibition at the Shepparton Art Museum in March 2023.
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is proud to partner with artist Ash Keating to present ELEVATION, a new solo exhibition that interprets the landscape of Yorta Yorta Country/the Goulburn Valley through Keating’s signature abstraction style.
ELEVATION presents a new series of large-scale paintings, which form an interconnected series of panoramas; a direct response to Keating’s memory and photographic imagery from site visits to Yorta Yorta Country to observe the landscape, horizon lines, and weather patterns from an elevated viewpoint. Keating’s affinity for the region’s landscape formed at an early age; the artist recalls memories of accompanying his grandmother – a pilot – in light-aircraft flights over Victoria’s high country.
Since 2015, Keating has developed a distinctive and specialised methodology for creating paintings with atmospheric compositions. Working with a technique he has named Gravity System Response (GSR), Keating applies paint to surfaces through an airless sprayer, augmenting areas by erasing or breaking down the paint through the application of water. The resultant works are fluid in motion, textured with layers of varying viscosity.
The works in ELEVATION mark an expansion in Keating’s practice – where his previous GSR paintings were born of studio improvisations and abstracted to project the illusion of landscape, Keating imbues this new series with a realism that brings them closer to the true landscapes he observed during his visits to the region. Keating further adds to the effect through his diffusion of the painted layers with constant coatings of water, softening the paint to mirror the patterns of weather that alter the landscape and one’s experience of it. The canvases loom large, creating a captivating, immersive experience for the viewer.
Melinda Martin, SAM CEO, says of the exhibition:
“It’s an honour to present a new body of Ash’s work at SAM. His career has charted an impressive trajectory, and Ash was keen to work with us because of his personal connection to the region. Ash has a singular practice, and it’s a delight to see the beauty of our landscape translated through his technique and transformed into something truly spectacular. We are lucky to have been able to have Ash create new work for SAM before he embarks to Mexico for a large project after the exhibition opens at SAM.”
Ash Keating: ELEVATION opens at SAM on Saturday 18 March 2023 and will be showing until 18 June 2023 with free entry.
On Sunday 19 March, the community is invited to attend the official ELEVATION exhibition opening. The event will be free and held at 2.00pm at SAM. Bookings can be made via Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/CGJXD.
About the artist:
Ash Keating (b. 1980 Naarm/Melbourne) is a contemporary visual artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. His practice is multidisciplinary, ranging from site-specific installations, outdoor murals, performance, to large-scale and domestic scaled canvases.
Keating holds a Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) in Painting from Monash University, Melbourne; and a BFA Honours from the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne. Since 2004, he has exhibited and produced outdoor murals extensively across Australia and internationally including at National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; Adelaide Festival, Adelaide; Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago, Chile; Seoul Art Space and Artsonje Centre, Seoul, South Korea; and Christchurch Art Gallery, New Zealand.
His works are held in numerous public and private collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney; Monash University Collection, Melbourne; and Artbank.
Shepparton Art Museum’s café – Elsewhere at SAM re-opens in March 2023
27 February 2023
Shepparton Art Museum is delighted to announce that new providers will run the café at SAM. Elsewhere at SAM will launch on 22 March. The new management team, consisting of Ricardo Vilsson Mullor, Alaina Tuckett and Jonathan Chan, will create a unique dining experience in the café that reflects the beauty of its surroundings in the museum and Victoria Lake.
With over 20 years of hospitality and management experience between the team as well as extensive local roots, the trio will showcase locally sourced products and ingredients, expressing the flavours and agricultural excellence of our region. Visitors to Elsewhere at SAM will continue to enjoy table service and be able to reserve tables and place orders online. The café will extend their opening hours, opening earlier from 8am and closing at 4pm, creating opportunities for early morning diners to purchase their coffee and breakfast on their morning lake walks.
Alaina Tuckett, Elsewhere at SAM Functions & Events Coordinator, says:
“We are so thrilled to be extending the experience of SAM by connecting and engaging with our community through food and drink offerings. Our team brings a wealth of local networks, knowledge and passion to the venture, strongly focusing on people through our commitment to excellent customer service. We will go to great lengths to promote and support the incredible local producers that the Goulburn Valley has to offer, and our attentive service will ensure that your meal is just as enjoyable as the art you came to see. Whether you visit us for a leisurely dine-in experience or a quick bite to eat, we've got you covered. We’re also excited to support SAM in their delivery of SAM at Sunset through our dining and bar services. This will provide an opportunity for our guests to enjoy a relaxing and memorable evening while taking in the beautiful sunset."
Whilst Elsewhere at SAM transitions into the premises, the café at SAM will be closed for a short period. The café closure coincides with a temporary gallery closure at SAM whilst installation of the museum’s upcoming major temporary exhibition Ash Keating: Elevation and collection exhibition Dance Me to the End of Love takes place. These new exhibitions will open to the public on Saturday 18 March.
Melinda Martin, SAM CEO, says:
“SAM is delighted to be partnering with Elsewhere at SAM to deliver a coffee and dining experience that is reflective of our desire for regional and cultural vibrancy. The team at Elsewhere are passionate about creating excellent food and drink opportunities in the Goulburn Valley, and we know that our visitors will love what will be on offer with the team’s fresh and unique menu.”
An announcement on the menu of Elsewhere at SAM will be released mid-March. All café enquiries can be made via email at hello@elsewhereatsam.com.au and more information can be found on elsewhereatsam.com.au
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Annual VCE Art exhibition FRESH: GV Top Art and Design is set to open this Saturday 18 February
17 February 2023
Annual VCE Art exhibition FRESH: GV Top Art and Design is set to open this Saturday 18 February in the Shepparton Art Museum’s Community Gallery.
Featuring artworks and design presentations from VCE Art, Studio Art and Visual Communication Design students from the class of 2022 in the Goulburn Valley, FRESH: GV Top Art and Design is Shepparton Art Museum’s (SAM) annual showcase of the talent and creativity of the next generation of artists.
Responding to an open callout, twenty students from across the region submitted their final folios for inclusion in the exhibition. Themes addressed in the works encompass a variety of cultural and social issues, including environmentalism and the continuing impact of the global pandemic. The young artists articulate their ideas and concepts through diverse mediums, including photography, painting, wood burning and recycled materials.
Caroline Esbenshade, SAM Curator – Community, says of the exhibition:
“It’s wonderful to see these burgeoning artists’ works here on the walls at SAM. It’s an exciting step for any artist to have their work exhibited in a museum environment, and even more so if it’s your first experience showing your work publicly.
I hope that any current VCE students who visit the show are inspired to participate next year, and that all visitors take a moment to think about how many artists who are displayed throughout the rest of the building might have gotten their own start participating in a similar program. It’s a reminder to us all that we all start somewhere, and of the importance of having quality art education available in schools.”
FRESH: GV Top Art and Design will open in SAM’s Hugh D.T Williamson Community Gallery on Saturday 18 February. The official exhibition opening celebration will be held on 30 March as part of the museum’s monthly SAM at Sunset event. More details on the event proceedings will be announced soon.
Featured image credit: Gabrielle Doherty, The Calming (detail) 2022. © the artist.
SAM Studios, our art extension workshop series for senior high school students, returns for Term 1 with local Yorta Yorta ceramic artist Jack Anselmi at the helm.
15 February 2023
Shepparton Art Museum’s popular after-school educational workshop series will be back for Term 1, running every Wednesday from 22 February to 29 March. This term, Yorta Yorta artist and Kaiela Arts mainstay Jack Anselmi will lead students through the series of workshops. SAM Studios 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 senior 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. Jack is passionate about sharing his skills and knowledge with others, and has a wonderful energy and enthusiasm about art. Students will benefit immensely from weekly face-to-face sessions under his mentorship.”
The six-week course will draw from Jack’s extensive knowledge and experience, diving into the art of clay mould-making and hand-building ceramics. Students are encouraged to explore their own artistic style and language, build their skill across artforms, enrich their own portfolios and gain industry insight to inform their future pathways. Previous participants in the SAM Studios workshops 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.
The SAM Studios sessions are free, with registrations open to all senior 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-studios-with-jack-anslemi/
SAM Studios is generously supported by the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training.
About the artist:
Jack Anselmi is a proud Yorta Yorta man from Mooroopna, Victoria. A regular participating artist at Kaiela Arts, Jack enjoys sharing his knowledge with others and learning new skills. He is highly regarded for his striking animal carvings, sculptures and ceramics. Jack has received various commissions including from Melbourne University and Goulburn Valley Grammar School. In 2016, Jack Anselmi worked with fellow artist Cynthia Hardie to create a large ceramic installation called ‘Midden’ for the Indigenous Ceramic Art Award at Shepparton Art Museum. ’Midden’ was one of five shortlisted entries and won the 2016 Award for its innovative use of the medium of ceramic. A recurring theme in his ceramics is the long-neck turtle, which is the Yorta Yorta totem. Jack breathes life into previously inanimate objects whether in wood or ceramic, his animals have an energy about them that is captivating.
SAM’s 2023 exhibition program announced
7 February 2023
The Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) has today announced its 2023 exhibition program. Over the next 12 months, SAM will stage 17 new exhibitions across all five floors.
In 2023, SAM will present exhibitions that connect with locally relevant stories and histories, celebrate Australian artists, and continue to foster national institutional relationships.
SAM’s next major exhibition will focus on the practice of Melbourne-based contemporary artist Ash Keating. Keating, who has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally, has developed a specialised technique of creating paintings with atmospheric compositions, replicating visuals of natural environmental systems through running, dripping paint. Elevation, his solo exhibition at SAM, will open on March 18 and will feature a series of large-scale works in his signature style that respond to the landscape of the Goulburn Valley region.
Opening simultaneously with Elevation will be SAM’s next collection show. Borrowing its name from a Leonard Cohen song, Dance Me to the End of Love will take visitors on a journey from birth to death and will feature much-loved items from the SAM collection, including Sam Jinks’ 2010 sculptural work Woman & Child.
In July, SAM will present JamFactory Icon 2021 Kunmanara Carroll: Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki (I Can See All Those Places), a touring exhibition from JamFactory. Celebrating the career of Luritja/Pintupi/Pitjantjatjara artist Kunmanara Carroll, the solo exhibition will explore his influence and practice, examining the legacy of cultural knowledge he sought to preserve through his paintings and ceramic sculptures.
The 2023 program will close with an exhibition of selected works from the extensive collection of Arndt Art Agency director Matthias Arndt. The exhibition will feature works by both Australian and international artists.
Throughout the year, SAM will continue to present engaging shows in the Children’s Gallery space. For the first time in May, the Children’s Gallery will feature a selection of playful objects from the SAM collection. Later in the year, Melbourne-based visual artist Beci Orpin will bring her signature colourful, geometric style to the space to delight the young and old alike.
SAM’s extensive collection of ceramics will be on show throughout the SAM building in 2023. In February, guest curator and artist Adam John Cullen will present Three Hares; blending the old and the new, Three Hares will feature groupings of ceramics from the collection alongside responsive new works created by Cullen and a number of invited contemporary artists.
SAM will highlight local creative talent in its dedicated Hugh D. T. Williamson Community Gallery. Beginning with a celebration of the 2022 graduating class of arts students, FRESH: GV Top Art & Design 2022 opens in February and features the final folios of over twenty VCE students from across the Goulburn Valley. Following on, the submissions to the three open-call programs SAM Open, SAM EOI and SAM Spotlight will be on display consecutively, shining a light on the creativity of artists of all disciplines and stages in the region.
SAM CEO Melinda Martin says:
“We’re thrilled to present another year’s program of exciting, dynamic exhibitions. In 2023, more hidden treasures from our collection will be on display, and old favourites are poised to make their long-awaited return. The diversity in this year’s offerings with regards to perspective, materiality and method will surely make for a journey of discovery as our visitors explore our galleries over the coming months.”
More information on each exhibition will be released throughout the year. SAM is open 6 days a week (closed Tuesdays) from 10am to 4pm on weekdays and 10am to 5pm on weekends. Entry and exhibitions are free.
Image credit
Penny Byrne: The Four Horseman of the 21st Century Apocalypse, 2009. Shepparton Art Museum Collection, purchased, 2009. © the artist. This work will feature in upcoming major collections exhibiton Dance Me To The End Of Love.