SAM Local Exhibitions to Open in March

8 March 2018

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) goes local from 29 March to 13 May, spotlighting the practice of regional artists with three exhibitions, SAM Local Spotlight, SAM Local: Best of Friends and SAM Education Lab.
An official opening will be held on Wednesday 28 March from 5.30 to 7.30pm, and all are welcome to attend and support their local artists.

SAM Local Spotlight is an exciting, profile-raising exhibition for a regional artist, this year, Kate Hill. In a work that takes her directly back to her childhood farm in Boorhaman, North East Victoria, and to the banks of the Goulburn River, Shepparton, Kate Hill continues her investigation of local clays, industry and the intersection of waterways.

Every year the talents of the Friends of SAM are showcased in an exhibition which brings together the works of community artists practising in painting, drawing, textiles, sculpture, photography and design. SAM Local: Best of Friends highlights this diversity, and the artists’ commitment and skills. The opening event provides an opportunity to meet the artists, celebrate their artistic talent and their contributions to our creative community. Friends are invited to showcase their work at SAM. If you’d like to download an application form, click here, and for information on becoming a Friend of SAM, click here.

The SAM Education Lab will be an evolving exhibition process that will see a range of schools and educational groups work with an artist to transform the gallery space on a weekly basis. Students’ work will remain in the gallery space over six weeks, providing them with the opportunity to see their work displayed in the galleries in an open lab-style mode of display. Masato Takasaka is the first practicing artist to take up residency in the Education Lab for six weeks from 29 March to 13 May 2018. Save the date for the closing party of SAM’s inaugural Education Lab on Monday 7 May, 6 to 8pm.

SAM Director, Dr Rebecca Coates said:

“These are great projects that engage artists and communities across our region, telling unique stories, inviting people of all ages to get involved with SAM’s programs and activities, and be inspired by the amazing creativity and imagination on our own doorstep.”

Local media preview: Tuesday 27 March, 10.30am

Exhibition Dates: Thursday 29 March – Sunday 13 of May 2018
Official Opening: Wednesday 28 March, 5.30 – 7.30pm

Featuring music by Wade Gregory and Brian Matthews.

RSVP: rsvp-sam@shepparton.vic.gov.au or call (03) 5832 9861

For further information please contact SAM Marketing Officers Amina Barolli or Trent Howard on (03) 5832 9494.

I hope you get this: Raquel Ormella

20 February 2018

Works reflecting on the intersections of art and activism, by one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, Raquel Ormella, will be exhibited at SAM from 26 May to 12 August 2018.

Curated by Rebecca Coates & Anna Briers
A NETS Victoria and Shepparton Art Museum touring exhibition

Raquel Ormella employs a wide variety of media, including video, painting, installation, drawing, textile, paintings and zine production. ‘I hope you get this’ features some of her seminal early works, alongside more recent textile and text-based works, and new commissions. The exhibition reveals Ormella’s experimental relationship with textiles and a playful exploration of semiotics, critical hallmarks of her sustained practice. I hope you get this: Raquel Ormella, will be the artist’s first major survey exhibition.

Curated by SAM Director, Dr Rebecca Coates, and SAM Senior Curator Anna Briers, the survey exhibition will feature four significant bodies of work within the artist’s oeuvre, as well as a site-responsive commission. This exhibition was supported by NETS Victoria’s Exhibition Development Fund and will tour nationally through a SAM and NETS Victoria partnership.

Through her use of text and symbols, notably in her intricate embroidery work, Ormella invites audience members to engage with issues of nationalism, political activism and environmental intervention.

The exhibition will be supported by education and public programs that invite engagement and participation with some of Shepparton’s local community groups – from bird-watching groups to local textile artists. The exhibition will appeal to visitors of all ages, extending audiences’ engagement and opportunity to actively participate in some of these key themes and ideas.

Dr Coates described the exhibition as a timely appraisal and recognition of Ormella’s achievements following her previous selection in a number of significant international biennials and major temporary exhibitions, from Sydney to Shanghai and Nagoya, Japan. Bringing earlier works now in the Collections of some of Australia’s major collecting institutions, together with some of her more recent projects and newer commissions, audiences will be able to see the sheer breadth of her practice, and her deep and sustained engagement with themes and ideas of our times.

“Social and environmental activism; human and animal relationships; nationalism and national identity; feminism and political identity are recurrent themes which Ormella consistently explores.

“An integral part of the way Ormella works is to become involved with, or imbedded within, grass-roots organisations and interest groups engaged directly with the issues she is exploring. This has extended from time spent with the Tasmanian Wilderness Society, more recent works made in response to trade union movements and strike actions, or the connections she has forged with birdwatcher groups run by U3A in the Goulburn Valley region over the course of the development of this exhibition.

Ormella’s works aim to stimulate contemplation, connection and engagement with issues of our times, without making her own position necessarily explicit. Very often, the materials she uses are things that we all have at home, or for the hoarders amongst us, in some of our cupboards. The title of this show, ‘I hope you get this’ refers not only to her own position within the works, but also to our reading of these various subjects. She invites visitors to engage, to reflect, and bring their own understanding and experiences to the show at the same time,” Dr Coates said.

This exhibition represents an ongoing commitment by Shepparton Art Museum to present the work of prominent mid-career female artists as a series of solo survey exhibitions. The commitment was first established in the 1970s, through the acquisition of major works by leading Modernist Australian female artists including Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington-Smith, both recently included in Heide’s Making Modernism exhibition (2017). These works are now considered some of the outstanding highlights of Shepparton Art Museum’s Collection. Recent female artists exhibited at SAM have included Chen Qiuilin and Nell.

To arrange interview with the artist and curator and for supply of images please contact:

Katrina Raymond, MediaLink Productions
(03) 9663 3222, 0417 303 158
katrina@medialinkproductions.com
Louis Raymond, MediaLink Productions
(03) 9663 3222, 0448 808 811
louis@medialinkproductions.com

Raquel Ormella Biography:

Raquel Ormella (b. Sydney 1969) has a diverse practice that includes video, installation, drawings, and zines. Ormella works at the intersections of art and activism. She investigates the means by which critical reflexivity in contemporary art encourages processes of self-examination regarding political consciousness and social action. Ormellaʼs practice is grounded in exploring the nature of the relationship between humans and the natural environment, with a particular focus on urban expansion and forest activism.

In highlighting the interconnections between the two, Ormella attempts to show that our depictions of the natural world are not representations of true ʻwildernessʼ or a pure state, but rather are informed by human contact and reflective of human values. Ormella has built a practice covering a diverse range of activities such as video, paintings, textiles, installations, drawings, and zines. She is interested in exploring the relation of the audience to the artwork by using multiples. For example, she produced a work for the 2008 Sydney Biennale using electronic whiteboards that printed the drawings made by the artist, so that the audience may take them home.

Her solo exhibitions include Golden Soil, Milani Gallery, 2016; Birds, School of Art Gallery, ANU, Canberra, 2013; New Constellation, Milani Gallery, 2013; Feeders, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, ACT, 2012.

Ormella has participated in various group exhibitions including in the 2015 Artist Making Movement, Asian Art Biennial, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, See you at the barricades, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, More love hours: contemporary artists and craft, Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne; Basil Sellers Prize, Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne, Protest Songs, Artful Actions, Lismore Regional Gallery, Lismore, Conflict: Contemporary responses to war, University of Queensland Art Museum, Brisbane; 2013 California-Pacific Triennial, Los Angeles, Social networking, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2012, the 1^st Aichi Triennial, Art and Cities, Nagoya, Japan, 2010.

Ormella was one of the artists selected for the One Year Studio Artists program at Artspace, Sydney, in 2017. In 2012, Ormella was awarded the prestigious Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, from the Campbelltown Art Centre, NSW, Australia; a New Work Grant from The Australia Council for the Arts and Arts ACT in 2009; Warrnambool Art Gallery’s New Social Commentaries Prize, in 2006; Western Sydney Artist Fellowship from the NSW Ministry for the Arts, 2000; and the Australia Council Studio Residency in Barcelona, Spain in 1999. In 2013 Ormella completed a PhD in Visual Arts at the Australia National University, Canberra where she lectures in the Painting department.

This exhibition has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program as well as receiving development assistance from NETS Victoria’s Exhibition Development Fund, supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.

Soft Core to show at Shepparton Art Museum

10 January 2018

Shepparton Art Museum is pleased to present Soft Core, an exhibition of newly commissioned and recent work by 12 Australian and International artists whose work questions the fluctuating meaning of softness.

Soft Core presents artistic practices that explore the many facets of ‘softness’ – from large-scale inflatables to forms made from soft materials to materials that simply look soft. These artists are making works that demand attention.

This exhibition includes works by 12 preeminent Australian and International artists including international superstar artist Tony Oursler; Michael Parekowhai, arguably New Zealand’s most celebrated artist; Patricia Piccinini, who famously designed the Skywhale hot air balloon; and Mikala Dwyer who courted controversy for her ritualistic excrement-based performance in 2013.

In the 20th century, artists began to disassemble the notion of traditional sculpture by adding and subtracting constructions, incorporating found objects and designating everyday items as art. These adaptive and divergent methods of form making continue today in a generation of artists who define sculpture in the negative condition: not bronze, not stone, not the macho force of the blast furnace.

The materials in this exhibition encompass air, inflatable nylon, unfired clay and plastics bags – materials that have been co-opted for their versatility and their mutability between function and emotion. Some of the works require activation – such as electricity or inflation to become whole while others inhabit their softness quietly.

Director of Shepparton Art Museum, Rebecca Coates, sees the fun, provocative and inspiring nature of this exhibition as a good fit for Shepparton audiences.

“Shepparton has a strong representation of groups who use and make textiles – from quilting, to weaving, to local Afghani embroiderers.

“There is a connection between this exhibition and SAM’s significant collection of Australian ceramics. Prior to firing, clay is of course a soft material – one that engages through its sheer tactility, and malleable potentiality. That’s in part why there has been an upsurge in the popularity of ceramics. Soft Core builds on the work we have done around contemporary artists engaging with these materials in a contemporary way.

“The show features work by leading Australian artists who have built a reputation in part based on materiality – Kathy Temin with her fake fur and soft environments; Mikala Dwyer with her pantyhose, oversized plastic sculptures, which are actually made from the material that you use for coke bottles; and Louise Weaver with her crocheted animals, objects and installations that intrigue visitors with whimsy and wonder,” Ms Coates said.

The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive soft-form catalogue featuring newly commissioned writing on each of the exhibition artists by significant institutional and independent writers including Justin Paton, Lisa Slade, Anna Davis, Jason Smith, Russell Storer, Georgina Cole, Francis E Parker, Vanessa Berry, Robert Leonard and Victoria Lynn.

Image: Michael Parekowhai, Cosmo McMurtry, 2006, woven nylon substrate, pigment, electrical components, 330 x 180 x 280 cm. Courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney © the artist and Michael Lett Gallery, Auckland

ENDS.

To arrange interviews with SAM Director Rebecca Coates and Curator Michael Do, please contact SAM Marketing Officer, Amina Barolli on +61 3 5832 9494 or by email: amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

Welcome to 2018 at SAM

3 January 2018

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is proud to launch its first quarterly program for January to April this week, as well as its complete 2018 exhibition program online for all to engage with, participate in and share.

Showcasing four jam-packed months ahead, the SAM Program outlines temporary exhibitions, upcoming workshops for all ages and skill-levels, talks and other special events, as well as everyday offerings for all to enjoy. The 12-page booklet is available on SAM’s website to download, with hard copies available at SAM and in various locations around Shepparton.

EXHIBITIONS

Currently in its last days, SAM’s Summer exhibition, Cover Versions: Mimicry and Resistance uses mediums ranging from sound art and video to photography and installation, with artists drawing upon the histories of music, popular culture and the internet, ethnography and the natural world. New site-specific commissions highlight the discourse in the context of regional Victoria, from robotic flowers in Dookie’s golden canola fields to community choirs that interpret the SAM Collection and the museum architecture musically. Now showing until 14 January 2018.

From 27 January, SAM will present Soft Core, an exhibition of attention-grabbing 3D works that includes large-scale inflatables, forms made from soft materials, and materials that simply look soft. Soft Core is an exhibition for all ages – bring your family and friends to see the awe-inspiring recent work of 12 Australian and International artists. The official opening will be held on Friday 2 February at 6pm and include a special participatory installation of soft sculpture by the opening speaker, David Cross – artist and Professor of Art and Performance, Deakin University. On the following day, the work will be displayed for further participation in the Shepparton Maude Street Mall from 10am to 2pm. Soft Core is an exhibition curated by Micheal Do in conjunction with Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and toured by Museums and Galleries of NSW. Showing from 27 January to 18 March 2018.

In early March, we’ll say goodbye to 80/80: Eighty Years of SAM – The Collection as the whole ground floor of SAM changes over to include two new collection exhibitions; Intimate Realities and Ever-present. Drawn largely from recent acquisitions, most of these works are being presented for the first time at SAM. Intimate Realities showcases a selection of sculptural works by leading Australian artists whose works engage, intrigue, and inspire through quiet contemplation, references to the body, musical refrain, and sheer enjoyment of materials. Ever-present is an exciting exhibition of historic and contemporary works by Indigenous artists, exploring the many ways that Country is explored and revealed through painting, ceramics and the beauty of every-day objects. Showing from 3 March 2018 to April 2019.

SAM’s Education Lab is a new initiative taking place from late March to mid-May, where students of all ages can work with artist Masato Takasaka to contribute to an ever-evolving exhibition over six weeks. The Education Lab coincides with other local community favourites: SAM Local Spotlight, celebrating home grown creativity; and Best of Friends, which invites all members of the Friends of SAM to show their work inside the museum. This year’s SAM Local Spotlight artist is Kate Hill.

SAM Local exhibitions will show from 29 March to 13 May 2018.

Kate Hill’s practice utilises site-specific materials of earth, clay and water, and processes such as sourcing, refining and sculpting to engage in temporal modalities of place – reflecting on both macro landscapes and systems – and the intimate space of walking. Through the excavation and processing of these materials she examines the stories that are held in this site, and the broader environmental and political questions associated with larger scale industries using similar processes.

Currently on show, the Drawing Wall #29 features work by Jon Campbell on the 4 x 12 metre wall in the Eastbank Centre, next door to the art museum. In February, SAM will commission its 30^th Drawing Wall by well-known local artist Rosa Purbrick. The 30^th edition of the wall will be marked and celebrated. David Harley will complete the 31^st Drawing Wall in late April.

The fourth successful year of SAM’s Showcase sees Susan Frost’s minimalist forms that explore subtle gradations of colour and tone until late January, and to celebrate SAM going local in time for the Shepparton Festival, we’ll see local artist Kaye Poulton present new work in the 17^th Showcase. The Showcase, located in the SAM Shop, provides visitors and collectors with a unique opportunity to acquire work by accomplished ceramic artists.

In late May, a survey exhibition of new and recent work by one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, Raquel Ormella, will include a wide variety of media, and particularly draw on her experimental textile works. The exhibition will explore key themes that Ormella has consistently developed in her work: social and environmental activism; human and animal relationships; nationalism and national identity. Showing from 26 May to 12 August 2018.

In late August, SAM will present its sixth iteration of the Indigenous Ceramic Award, with applications open to Indigenous artists and groups from 15 January until 5 March. Showing from 25 August to 11 November 2018.

To conclude 2018, a major collaborative, playful and immersive exhibition, Craftivism, will feature the work of over 16 contemporary Australian artists and artist collectives. Extending our understanding of craft-making traditions and the potential of various materialities, the works in Craftivism will subvert and extend these forms into the realm of activism and social change. Many of the works included will encourage social connection between community members, and the idea of play and regeneration through collective processes. Showing from 24 November 2018 to 3 March 2019.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Ongoing favourites

SAM is thrilled to announce the return of sell-out programs from 2017 such as SAM Little Hands for toddlers and pre-schoolers and their carer; the SAM Art Club, after-school programming for kids and tweens; and SAM Out Late! for those secondary students and adults wanting to engage with art after hours and meet new friends. This year also sees the return of the popular SAM Art Trail, designed to encourage children and families to learn about the artworks through self-guided tours. Teachers and students can also access professional development workshops and talks.

Special lecture: Architecture as Land Art with John Denton

For those interested in the development of the new Shepparton Art Museum’s architecture, on Thursday 8 February, hear from John Denton, one of the founders of Denton Corker Marshall, talk about the idea of architecture as land art. As many will know, DCM won the architecture competition for the new SAM, and are working with Council on Detailed Designs. Denton will discuss DCM’s approach to architecture as an art object set in the landscape. Bookings can be made online via SAM’s website.

Summer Holiday Program

To kick off the year, SAM will present its popular Summer Holiday Program of art-making for people of all ages and skill-levels in mid-January. With some programs booked out as soon as details were published in December, make sure you book straight in if there’s something that interests you to avoid missing out!

Text Me, Clay Me

SAM’s sell-out clay play sessions are back. Taking inspiration from Jon Campbell’s, Drawing Wall #29, participants will explore text and typography. Using rolling, coiling and pinching techniques, kids will express themselves through loopy lettering, text and scale. Participants will get to take home their work after firing.

When: Monday 22 January, 1.30 to 3.30pm
For: Kids & Tweens
Cost: $20
Tutor: Kaye Poulton
Bookings: On the SAM website via Eventbrite

Skidding Squeegees

Our last screen-printing workshop was so much fun we’re rolling it out again. Learn how to print multiple colours and repetitive patterns onto a calico bag which you can take home, or bring your own white t-shirt and show it off when you get back to school.

When: Tuesday 23 January, 10.30am to 12pm or 1.30 to 3pm
For: Kids & Tweens
Cost: $20
Tutor: Tarli Bird
Bookings: On the SAM website via Eventbrite

A Summer Road Trip for Families
NGV Kids on Tour program

Spend the afternoon creating and making. To coincide with the National Gallery of Victoria’s Summer exhibition program, activities will include collage, board games and some take-home fun. More information on NGV Kids on Tour here. Come and join us!

When: Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 January, 1.30 to 3pm
Audience: Families
Cost: FREE
Bookings: On the SAM website via Eventbrite

To view the SAM Program January to April 2018 which includes all of the above: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/programs-and-events

Free hard copies are available from the SAM Shop (70 Welsford Street, Shepparton), and in the Shepparton News on Friday 12 January.

SAM is open 7 days from 10am to 4pm (public holidays 1pm to 4pm).

Shepparton Art Museum is proudly provided by Greater Shepparton City Council, located at 70 Welsford Street, Shepparton. For general SAM enquiries and bookings please contact: (03) 5832 9861, email art.museum@shepparton.vic.gov.au, or visit www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au. SAM is also on Facebook www.facebook.com/SheppartonArtMuseum, Twitter and Instagram: @SAM_Shepparton.

Applications for SAM’s 2018 Indigenous Ceramic Award to open 15 Jan

3 January 2018

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is pleased to announce applications will open for its 2018 Indigenous Ceramic Award (ICA) from Monday 15 January to 5 March.

As a $20,000 acquisitive prize, the 2018 ICA is open to Indigenous groups and individual artists to propose an exhibition concept to be realised at SAM. Eight shortlisted groups or artists will be supported with an exhibition development fee of $2,200 each to produce new work from March to July. The exhibition will be presented at SAM from 25 August to 11 November 2018.

The Award will be judged by Stephen Gilchrist, Associate Lecturer of Indigenous Art at the University of Sydney; Genevieve Grieves, freelance curator, educator and consultant; and Dr Rebecca Coates, Director of SAM, and announced at the exhibition opening on Saturday 25 August 2018.

The 2018 ICA is the sixth in the series of this biennial Award, showcasing new and exciting developments in the field. It contributes to the Art Museum’s significant holdings of Indigenous ceramic art, and provides cultural exchange opportunities for Indigenous artists from around Australia and within regional Victoria.

The ICA was established under the patronage of acclaimed artist Dr Gloria Thanakupi Fletcher in 2007. As the Award is increasingly recognised as one of Australia’s significant Indigenous cultural opportunities, there has been increasing interest and participation in the Award from solo artists and collectives in both remote communities and urban centres since its first iteration.

SAM Director, Dr Rebecca Coates, commented:

‘SAM is delighted to again be presenting our significant national Award that explores and celebrates Australia’s First Nation’s histories (past, present and still to be written). With each edition, we continue to be inspired and delighted by the outstanding works that extend our understanding of Australia’s First People. The ICA is also a means of supporting cultural and professional development programs that engage and inspire Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences in new and exciting ways.’

Major Partners of the 2018 ICA include Sir Andrew and Lady Fairley Foundation and Mr Allan Myers AO QC.

Important Dates:

Applications open	Monday 15 January 2018
Applications close	Monday 5 March 2018
Artists advised of selection	Tuesday 13 March 2018
Due date for delivery of artworks to SAM	Monday 23 July 2018
Announcement and official opening	Saturday 25 August 2018
Exhibition dates	25 August to 11 November 2018

For further information on how to apply, full terms and conditions, please visit https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/indigenous-ceramic-award. All expressions of interest for the Award are to be submitted online, or via post, and received by 5 March 2018, 5pm (Eastern Daylight Savings Time).

Judge Biographies

Stephen Gilchrist: Belonging to the Yamatji people of the Inggarda language group of northwest Western Australia, Stephen Gilchrist is Associate Lecturer of Indigenous Art at the University of Sydney. He is a lecturer, writer and curator who has worked with the Indigenous Australian collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria. He has held Curatorial Fellowships at the British Museum, the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College and Harvard Art Museums, Harvard University.

Genevieve Grieves: is a Worimi woman- traditionally from mid north coast New South Wales – who has lived in Narrm (Melbourne) for many years. She is an Indigenous artist, researcher, educator, curator, film-maker and oral historian who has accumulated nearly 20 years experience across the arts, culture and education sectors. Genevieve has consistently won recognition and awards for the variety of projects she has undertaken throughout her diverse career including online documentaries, film, art and exhibitions.

Dr Rebecca Coates: is the director of Shepparton Art Museum, and a Board member of the Public Galleries Association of Victoria. She is an established curator, writer and lecturer, with over 20 years professional art museum and gallery experience in both Australia and overseas. Prior to her current role, she was a Lecturer at the University of Melbourne in Art History and Art Curatorship. Rebecca has a PhD in Art History. She is an Honorary Fellow of the School of Culture and Communication, University of Melbourne.

ENDS

For further information, print quality images of past Award winners, or to arrange interviews with SAM staff, please contact SAM Marketing Co-ordinators Sarah Werkmeister or Amina Barolli on (03) 5832 9522 or email sarah.werkmeister@shepparton.vic.gov.au or amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

SAM Local Call for Entries Now Open for March 2018

19 October 2017

From 31 March to 13 May 2018, Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) will go local, spotlighting artistic practice from the region with three exhibitions: SAM Local Spotlight; Best of Friends; and SAM Education Lab. Local artists of all ages are encouraged to share their creativity and get involved!

Calling local artists… exhibit your art at SAM! The call for entries is now open.

SAM Local Spotlight is now open for one solo artist to apply to exhibit a body of work at SAM. Proposals will be accepted from artists living in or originally from North Central and North East Regional Victoria and maintain strong connections within these locations.

SAM Senior Curator, Anna Briers, said:

“SAM Local Spotlight is an exciting, profile-raising opportunity for a regional artist. The aim of the exhibition is to encourage, stimulate and promote local and regional cultural activities as part of SAM’s annual program. This is also great opportunity to gain professional experience working in an art museum context – working with SAM’s team across curatorial, marketing and communications, registration, education and public programs, and much more.”

For further information on how to become the SAM Local Spotlight artist, visit SAM’s website www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au. Submissions will close on Thursday 2 November, 5pm EST. Artists can chat to SAM’s Senior Curator Anna Briers about their proposal prior to submitting on: (03) 5832 9893. All applicants will be advised by 17 November 2017.

Best of Friends is an open access exhibition and all Friends of SAM are encouraged to submit work. The exhibition’s purpose is to open a window onto the creative practice of many artists working in a range of media in the Goulburn Valley. It is a great way to see what other people are creating and to gain insights into the regional arts sector. Keep an eye out on SAM’s website in December for more information on how to apply.

The SAM Education Lab is an exciting new innovation for SAM. Working closely with teachers and schools in Greater Shepparton, SAM’s education staff have developed a program designed to work with all ages, to engage and inform through art and play led by a practising artist. Artist Masato Takasaka will be the artist in residence for the duration of the SAM Education Lab. Schools and education providers of all year levels and abilities are invited and encouraged to book in early to participate in this exciting new project.

There are many talented young art graduates in the Greater Shepparton community and SAM strongly encourages students to become a Friend of SAM and submit their end-of-year work for display in the Best of Friends exhibition.

For more information visit: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/education.

For further information on any of the above, to arrange an interview with a SAM staff member, or for a high resolution image, please contact SAM Marketing Coordinators by phone (03) 5832 9494 or by email on sarah.werkmeister@shepparton.vic.gov.au or amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

MPavilion join together with Shepparton Art Museum and Geelong Gallery to deliver new regional program

25 September 2017

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) and Geelong Gallery have joined together with MPavilion to deliver a new special regional program of workshops and public events designed to connect community groups, cultural institutions and government bodies, and to foster meaningful conversations around design.

Opening on Tuesday 3 October 2017 and running until Sunday 4 February 2018, MPavilion 2017 is designed by renowned international architects Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of OMA. Inspired by Koolhaas’s current preoccupation with the countryside and urban design, for the first time, this year MPavilion is extending its reach from the heart of Melbourne to work with key partners in regional Victoria. Held throughout October 2017 and February 2018, the series of workshops and events are curated and facilitated by MPavilion in collaboration with Shepparton Art Museum; Geelong Gallery; Jack Self (director, REAL Foundation, UK; co-curator, British Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2016); artist Keg de Souza (NSW); and Sarah Lynn Rees (MPavilion Regional Program Manager; Indigenous Architecture & Design Victoria).

Naomi Milgrom AO, Founder of MPavilion said

This season the MPavilion program has been developed in collaboration with our architects Rem Koolhaas, David Gianotten of OMA. A main focus of OMA’s current research is the notion of countryside. It was important to us that we interrogate this theme with a focus on the unique Australian context. Through this project, we will investigate regional Victoria as a product of its Indigenous continuous living histories and its colonial history, as well as how it continues to evolve through immigration, infrastructure and agriculture.

With Shepparton and Geelong as central case studies, the program considers how regional Australia might address issues of inclusion, diversity, innovation and evolving industrial landscapes through the lenses of architecture, design and the built environment.

Director of Shepparton Art Museum, Rebecca Coates, said

We are delighted to be partnering with MPavilion and Geelong Gallery on this exciting project. Shepparton is undergoing a period of exciting civic, social and economic growth. A major infrastructure project to build a new SAM Art Museum is currently underway – one of the many major new projects which will change the face of Shepparton over the coming years. The new SAM demonstrates that great art and design can be central to how we live and who we are. Working with leaders in the architecture, design, and creative thinking fields, we look forward to continuing to interrogate ideas around what good design can look like in a unique part of regional Victoria.

Director of Geelong Gallery, Jason Smith said

This is a timely and exciting collaboration for Geelong Gallery. Over the past year the Gallery has contributed to the thinking and planning for the community-led blueprint for Greater Geelong to be recognised regionally, nationally and internationally, as a clever and creative city-region. The opportunity to collaborate with MPavilion, OMA and our close colleagues at SAM aligns perfectly with our commitment to Geelong’s future.

The program will comprises of series of workshops and events including regional workshops in October 2017 in Geelong and Shepparton with international guest Jack Self and Sarah Lynn Rees of MPavilion; a Melbourne workshop with Rem Koolhaas & David Gianotten (OMA), Jack Self, Sarah Lynn Rees, Shepparton Art Museum and Geelong Gallery.

In February 2018, Sydney-based interdisciplinary artist, Keg de Souza will present a collaborative project with program participants at SAM in Shepparton and Geelong Gallery. With particular interest in the built environment and the social spaces and communities that inhabit them, de Souza’s wide-ranging practice is informed by her architectural training and encompasses video, performance, installation, publishing and inflatable architecture. Her work has recently featured in the Biennale of Sydney 2016, and the 5th Auckland Triennial, curated by Hou Hanru.

Designed to empower participants and associated organisations to instigate and support change in Shepparton and Geelong and elsewhere at grassroots and government levels, a high-quality not-for-profit publication—produced and globally distributed by Jack Self’s REAL Foundation—will also be produced that can be adopted and employed by all participants involved in the program.

Ends

To arrange interviews with MPavilion please contact Rhiannon Broomfield at ARTICULATE on 0410 596 021 or rhiannon@articulatepr.com.au

For further information, or to arrange interviews with SAM’s Director Rebecca Coates please contact SAM Marketing Coordinators by phone (03) 5832 9494 or by email on sarah.werkmeister@shepparton.vic.gov.au or amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au

Resources
Dropbox of high-res images, press release and further information: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f7h0grw17c39l1m/AAD_iHKxYFJQt-B5Yk23TvjLa?dl=0

VIDEO: A video featuring MPavilion 2017 architect Rem Koolhaas discussing the importance of the countryside can be found and shared through the following link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qniez5z3cy6o7bz/Video_Rem%20Koolhaas%20%282%20mins%29_5%20September%202017.mov?dl=0

MPavilion key dates and useful links:

MPavilion will open free to the public on Tuesday 3 October 2017 until Sunday 4 February 2018
For further information, please visit mpavilion.org

About OMA

OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) is an international practice operating within the traditional boundaries of architecture and urbanism and was founded by visionary Rem Koolhaas, a Pritzker prize-winning architect. Together with 8 partners Koolhaas heads the work of both OMA and AMO, the research branch of OMA, operating in areas beyond the realm of architecture such as media, politics, renewable energy and fashion. David Gianotten is OMA’s Managing Partner-Architect; responsible for the management and growth of OMA worldwide and is the responsible partner-in-charge of numerous projects in Asia, Australia and Europe including the New Museum project in Perth and Rotterdam’s new Feyenoord football stadium. Together Koolhaas and Gianotten are responsible for the design and execution of the Taipei Performing Arts Centre.

OMA completed large scale projects in recent years include the Qatar Foundation Headquarters in Doha; Faena District in Miami; London’s Design Museum; Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow; Fondazione Prada in Milan; Shenzhen Stock Exchange; De Rotterdam; and CCTV Headquarters in Beijing.

About MPavilion

MPavilion is Australia’s leading architectural commission and design event conceived and created by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation in 2014. Every year one new temporary pavilion, designed by a leading international architect, is erected in Melbourne’s historic Queen Victoria Gardens. From October through February, the MPavilion becomes a design and cultural laboratory, and home to a series of talks, workshops, performances and installations. At the end of each season MPavilion is moved to a permanent new home within Melbourne’s CBD, creating an ongoing legacy in Melbourne’s increasingly sophisticated architectural landscape. Australian architect Sean Godsell designed MPavilion 2014 (now at the Hellenic Museum); and in 2015 MPavilion was designed by British architect Amanda Levete of AL_A (now in Collins Street, Docklands). Indian architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai designed MPavilion 2016 (soon to be relocated to the Melbourne Zoo).

Australian philanthropist Naomi Milgrom AO initiated MPavilion. She is also the Commissioner for the Australian representation at the 57^th International Art Exhibition Venice Biennale, Tracey Moffatt exhibition 2017.

SAM’s summer exhibition – Cover Versions: Mimicry and Resistance opens in November

13 September 2017

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is excited to present Cover Versions: Mimicry and Resistance as its major Summer exhibition. Featuring the works of thirteen artists and collectives, the exhibition explores ideas around mimicry and impersonation, re-performance or reiteration, as artists and collectives expand on the notion of the cover version and its subversive potential within the digital age.

Cover Versions: Mimicry and Resistance quotes from the histories of music, popular culture and the internet, ethnography and the natural world. This is expressed through a range of media including sound art and instrumentation, robotics, video, photography and installation. Mimicry has been equated with camouflage but it is also like holding up a mirror. Whether employed as a means of survival, in homage, or for the purposes of political critique, these works reveal something about the nature of our times.

Departing from Arthur Merric Boyd and Neil Douglas’ earthenware platter that depicts a lyrebird— a creature that can mimic multiple sounds and voices—the exhibition will examine the ways in which artists have used mimicry as a means of resistance, as a comment on contemporary culture, or as a means to subvert perceptions around gender, sexuality and ethnicity.

Curator, Anna Briers states:

This major group exhibition features two specials commissions anchored in SAM’s unique site and context. Artist collective Super Critical Mass will present a participatory sonic performance from a newly assembled community choir in response to the museum’s architecture, the collection display and each other. Also included, artist Michael Candy has produced a series of robotic pollenizers that mimic flowers, addressing the bee crisis that is both a local and global concern. These projects enable large-scale participatory audience engagement, while furthering cutting-edge experimental media art practice.

For the exhibition, two artists/artist groups have been commissioned to make new work.

The New York/Sydney/Brisbane artist duo, Super Critical Mass has been commissioned to create a version of their ongoing work, Moving Collected Ambience. It is a participatory sound art performance in which participants move through the gallery spaces producing simple vocal sounds in response to SAM’s permanent collection, the gallery architecture and each other. Artist Julian Day has been in Shepparton recruiting a choir to perform this work for the opening night of the exhibition.

Brisbane-based media artist Michael Candy has been commissioned to create a series of Synthetic Pollenizers – robotic flowers that work in concert with the local ecosystem to attract bees and increase the pollination of flora in the Shepparton region. This will occur in peak spring, assisting the bees with their pollination and documenting their activities with a motion tracking camera. On Saturday 23 September, the artist will be testing his Synthetic Pollenizers at Tallis Wines in Dookie. This is a public event, and those interested can RSVP via the SAM website. From Saturday 11 November, the bee activity will be live-streamed into SAM, from the rooftop residency of Melbourne-based beekeeper, Honey Fingers.

Yuki Kihara’s Culture for Sale 2014 will also be featured in the exhibition. Kihara, leading contemporary New Zealand- and Sydney and Samoa-based artist, here has employed a type of reverse anthropology in which the viewer participates in the exoticisation of the subject in the work by asking the viewer to insert a twenty cent coin in order for a video to be activated. Here, the artist subverts what was known as Samoan participation in the ‘Völkerschauen’, a popular form of exotic entertainment and colonial theatre in Germany in the early 20^th century. The work makes viewers question practices that have been embedded—albeit more slyly—within mainstream culture throughout time, now expanding on the ways in which we consume video games.

Artists in the exhibition include: Arthur Merric Boyd and Neil Douglas, Michael Candy, Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Marco Fusinato, Percy Grainger and Burnett Cross, Yuki Kihara, The Kingpins, LOUD + SOFT (Julian Day and Luke Jaaniste), Frédéric Nauczyciel, Soda Jerk vs The Avalanches, Super Critical Mass, Christian Thompson, and Jemima Wyman.

Curated by Anna Briers

Artists available for interview Yuki Kihara, Julian Day, Michael Candy

Resources Dropbox of high-res images – https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i0ygu3ew4s9bzg1/AAAcWBOgz8cHDBlugmna2pnUa?dl=0

For further information, or to arrange interviews with SAM’s Director Rebecca Coates or artists included, please contact SAM Marketing Coordinators by phone (03) 5832 9494 or by email on sarah.werkmeister@shepparton.vic.gov.au or amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

Image: (foreground) Super Critical Mass (Julian Day and Luke Jaaniste), Moving Collected Ambience 2014, participatory sound work, commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Performance Space, Sydney, 2015. Museum of Contemporary Art, purchased with funds provided by the MCA Foundation, 2015. (background) Kerrie Poliness, OMG 2014, graphic film on wall, installation view, MCA Collection: Today Tomorrow Yesterday, 2016. Museum of Contemporary Art, purchased with funds provided by the MCA Foundation, 2014. Image courtesy the artists and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney © the artists, Kerrie Poliness/licenced by Viscopy 2017. Photo: Hospital Hill.

Planning approvals for Shepparton Art Museum

6 September 2017

The Victorian State Government has given the green light for the new Shepparton Art Museum development that’s set to create jobs, boost tourism and grow the local economy.

Minister for Planning Richard Wynne has approved an amendment to the Shepparton Planning Scheme to allow the development of the new Shepparton Art Museum to proceed in a timely manner. The Minister for Planning will become the Planning Authority for this project. Council is pleased that the State Government has agreed to assist with the planning approvals for this project.

Once complete, the new SAM is expected to attract more visitors to the region from right around the state and nation, boosting local visitor spending by more than $6 million annually.

Construction of the project will create 72 direct and 109 indirect jobs, injecting $34.5 million into the local economy.

Planning approvals follow a $10 million investment by the State Government to help Shepparton showcase its strengths as a cultural hotspot for the arts. The $34.5m project is also funded by Greater Shepparton City Council, the Commonwealth Government and from philanthropic donations through the SAM Foundation.

The project will see the Shepparton Art Museum relocated to the more prominent and accessible location of the Victoria Lake Park.

The State Government is working to strengthen Shepparton as a cultural destination, creating more local jobs, boosting visitor numbers and attracting business investment and consumer spending in the region’s retail, hospitality and accommodation sectors.

The Shepparton Art Museum will showcase unique ceramics, indigenous and multicultural collections to visitors in turn boosting business for local hotels, cafes and other small businesses.

Greater Shepparton City Council Deputy Mayor, Kim O’Keeffe said the decision was welcomed and will ensure the project can progress quickly to the build stage.

“We are on track to have the former Shell Service Station and café demolished before the end of the year ensuring the two year build can commence in 2018,” said Cr O’Keeffe.

“This is a very exciting project for the municipality and an important one that positions Greater Shepparton as a progressive region not only in the arts world but as tourism destination.”

“Developments such as these instil confidence amongst business that Shepparton is growing and prepared for the future and will attract new investment to the area,” said Cr O’Keeffe.

Resolution: new Indigenous photomedia opens next weekend at SAM.

17 August 2017

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is excited to open Resolution: new Indigenous photomedia on Friday 25 August, 5.30 – 7.30pm. This National Gallery of Australia travelling exhibition celebrates some of the most significant work made by Indigenous photographers, video and multimedia artists in the last five years.

Resolution brings together established and critically acclaimed artists with exciting emerging talent reflecting the diversity and dynamism of contemporary practice.

The foundations of contemporary Indigenous photography were laid in the late ‘80s, with a generation of politicised and often provocative artists documenting their experiences of the Bicentennial marking 200 years of European settlement. The last 30 years has seen the emergence of artists who engage critically and thoughtfully with the present and the past, exploring their complex identities and questioning the way they are seen by contemporary society.

Resolution has travelled to three other Australian venues over the last 12 months, including Tweed Regional Gallery (QLD), Perc Tucker Art Gallery (QLD) and Araluen Art Centre (NT) as part of the National Gallery of Australia’s extensive program, sharing the national collection with the wider Australian community.

Artists include: Michael Aird, Tony Albert, Brook Andrew, Ali G. Baker, Daniel Boyd, Megan Cope, Brenda L. Croft, Nici Cumpston, Robert Fielding, Nicole Foreshew, Ricky Maynard, Danie Mellor, Steaphan Paton, Damien Shen, Darren Siwes, Christian Thompson, Warwick Thornton, James Tylor, and Jason Wing.

Exhibition Dates: Saturday 26 August – Sunday 29 October 2017 Programs and events: See SAM’s website www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au

Director of the National Gallery of Australia, Gerard Vaughan, said that “Over the last 30 years, the NGA has developed one of the truly great collections of Indigenous photomedia. Resolution reflects our continuing engagement with this vital aspect of contemporary practice.”

Dr Rebecca Coates, Director of the Shepparton Art Museum says “SAM is delighted to present this timely exhibition from the National Gallery of Australia’s Collection. The exhibition presents work by leading contemporary Australian Aboriginal artists who examine ideas around Aboriginal identity, history and culture. These conversations are more pertinent than ever today, at a time when Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians reflect on our past and present, working together towards a shared future. Resolution speaks to all of us, of all ages and backgrounds.”

Yorta Yorta woman, Belinda Briggs (Community Engagement – Indigenous, SAM) says “Resolution is a great opportunity to engage with a national conversation that can also be seen through a local lens. Co-curated by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art and Photography departments of the National Gallery of Australia and drawing on the NGA’s contemporary collections, this exciting exhibition creates space to inquire, discuss, reaffirm, challenge and promote further understandings of history, the present, and the future. The exhibition’s importance lies in the fact that it brings the stories of Australia’s First Peoples to the fore.”

IMAGE: Ali G Baker, Bound / Unbound Sovereign Acts II Simone Ulalka Tur, 2015. Image courtesy and copyright the artist and the National Gallery of Australia.

This exhibition is supported by the Australian Government through Visions of Australia and the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, both Australian Government programs aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences are advised that the exhibition may contain images and voices of people who have since passed away.

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For further information, print quality images, or to arrange interviews with SAM’s Director Rebecca Coates or artists included, please contact SAM Marketing Coordinators by phone (03) 5832 9494 or by email on sarah.werkmeister@shepparton.vic.gov.au or amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

Resolution: new Indigenous photomedia comes to SAM.

18 July 2017

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) will host Resolution: new Indigenous photomedia from 26 August to 29 October 2017. This travelling exhibition, produced by the National Gallery of Australia, celebrates some of the most significant work made by Indigenous photographers, video and multimedia artists in the last five years.

Resolution brings together established and critically acclaimed artists with exciting emerging talent reflecting the diversity and dynamism of contemporary practice.

The foundations of contemporary Indigenous photography were laid in the late ‘80s, with a generation of politicised and often provocative artists documenting their experiences of the Bicentennial marking 200 years of European settlement. The last 30 years has seen the emergence of artists who engage critically and thoughtfully with the present and the past, layering their artistic identity with challenges to contemporary culture.

Resolution has travelled to three other Australian venues over the last 10 months, as part of the National Gallery of Australia’s extensive program, sharing the national collection with the wider Australian community. Artists include: Michael Aird, Tony Albert, Brook Andrew, Ali G. Baker, Daniel Boyd, Megan Cope, Brenda L. Croft, Nici Cumpston, Robert Fielding, Nicole Foreshew, Ricky Maynard, Danie Mellor, Steaphan Paton, Damien Shen, Darren Siwes, Christian Thompson, Warwick Thornton, James Tylor, and Jason Wing.

Exhibition Dates: Saturday 26 August – Sunday 29 October 2017 Official Opening: Friday 25 August, 5.30 – 7.30pm Programs and events: See SAM’s website www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au

IMAGE: Christian Thompson, Gods and kings, 2015 (from the series Imperial relic), chromogenic colour, photograph National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased 2016. Courtesy of Michael Reid, Sydney © the artist

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences are advised that the exhibition may contain images and voices of people who have since passed away.

2017 Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award

17 June 2017

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is excited to announce the winner of the biennial Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Art Award (SMFACA), the premier national Award for artists working in the ceramic medium.

This year’s exhibition supports the rich, vibrant and diverse use of the ceramic medium, and includes the work by five contemporary artists Glenn Barkley, Karen Black, Laith McGregor, Jenny Orchard and Yasmin Smith. Works are on display at SAM from 17 June to 13 August.

The prestigious $50,000 prize has been awarded to Jenny Orchard for her work The Imagined Possibility of Unity (2017).

Judges of the 2017 Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Art Award are Jacqueline Doughty, Curatorial Manager, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne; Jason Smith, Director, Geelong Art Gallery; and Dr Rebecca Coates, Director, Shepparton Art Museum.

Judges’ comments:

“Jenny Orchard’s installation is a tour de force that reveals an artist in full command of her medium, and an artist whose work has an unquestionable contemporary relevance.

Orchard has been at the forefront of ceramics as a contemporary medium for more than 40 years. In an outstanding field of five leading contemporary artists working in clay, Orchard’s work is utterly compelling.

Her figures are invested with an exceptional life force that emanates directly from the organic medium of clay. The Judges were dazzled by Orchard’s range of expert modelling and glazing techniques. While Orchard’s work has clearly acknowledged references to art and design histories, including the Italian art and design The Memphis Group (1981-87), the judges feel strongly that Orchard’s work transcends all influences and powerfully communicates a singular vision.”

Inaugurated in 1991 as the Sidney Myer Fund Australia Day Ceramic Award, the award has evolved into what is now known as the Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award. The Sidney Myer Fund have tenaciously supported the development of a now nationally-renowned ceramic collection at the Shepparton Art Museum, as well as artists through their support in this award, which has previously awarded now-distinguished artists Stephen Benwell, Deborah Halpern and Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran.

Jenny Orchard commented on being shortlisted for the 2017 Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award in February:

“Being part of the 2017 Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award is very exciting for me. This show makes it possible for me to bring together aspects of my practice which have been quite scattered over the last decades. I moved my studio home in 2015 and built a “shed” with transparent walls and roof to see the sky, trees and birds in 2016.

I believe optimism is the only way of being in the world. Quantum mechanics and bio-technology are an everyday reality never discussed, and yet our future on the planet depends on our engagement with them, so my work is an attempt to provoke questioning. I choose not to use shock, but to try to express wonder, and a gentle probing or provocation to look at the diversity and connections in the lively world around us.”

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IMAGE: Jenny Orchard, The Imagined Possibility of Unity (detail), 2017. Photo by Christian Capurro. Image courtesy the artist and Despard Gallery, Hobart.

Media: SAM Marketing Coordinators – p (+61 3) 5832 9494
Amina Barolli – amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au
Sarah Werkmeister – sarah.werkmeister@shepparton.vic.gov.au

Shepparton Art Museum to announce $50K ceramic award

1 June 2017

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) presents the sixth iteration of its Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award (SMFACA) from 17 June to 13 August 2017. The five shortlisted artists for this year’s $50,000 acquisitive award are: Glenn Barkley, Karen Black, Laith McGregor, Jenny Orchard and Yasmin Smith. The winner of the award will be announced at the opening of the exhibition on Saturday 17 June.

The SMFACA has offered Australian audiences the opportunity to view the best contemporary ceramic art for over 12 years. With ceramics increasingly utilised by a number of emerging and established contemporary artists, the possibilities for the medium have expanded significantly. So too have the ideas and themes examined by the artists through this medium. The Sidney Myer Fund have supported this award for over 25 years.

Chairman of the Sidney Myer Fund, Carrillo Gantner AO said: “The Sidney Myer Fund has supported the Shepparton Art Museum ceramic award since 1991. This prize, the only one of its kind in the country, continues to attract Australian artists of the highest order and we are delighted that our support has assisted Shepparton to build one of the very finest collections of ceramics in the country. We look forward to the collection being shared more prominently with the community and with visitors in the planned new SAM.”

Shortlisted in early February this year, each of the five artists have spent the past four months developing substantial new bodies of work to present as part of the award’s exhibition.

Glenn Barkley’s ceramic installation explores everyday life, botanical forms and literary reference points while drawing from the histories of the ceramic form and its traditions of museum display.

Karen Black’s painterly surfaces explore themes of war and female experience, her sculptural forms inspired by 3rd and 4th Century Turkish perfume bottles.

Laith McGregor, well known for his esoteric drawings, creates a sculptural installation that explores the intersection of dreams and reality, inspired by nostalgia and the subconscious.

Jenny Orchard expands on her investigations into the natural world, mythology and invented narratives around gene technology, producing fantastical, totemic ceramic forms.

Yasmin Smith assembles a structure using ceramic branches directly cast from River Red Gums and orchard trees around Shepparton, investigating social histories around agriculture, migration and displacement.

The award is being judged by Jacqueline Doughty, Curatorial Manager, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne; Jason Smith, Director, Geelong Art Gallery; and Dr Rebecca Coates, Director, Shepparton Art Museum.

Dr Rebecca Coates said: “Ceramics is the medium of our times. SAM is hugely excited to present new work by five outstanding contemporary Australian artists who continue to excite and inspire us in the way they engage and extend our understanding of the ceramic medium. These artists have a mastery of materials, which allows us to reflect on the themes and passions that underpin their work. Inspiration comes from the past and present: from archaeology and anthropology to arboretums and apple orchards – these are just some of the ideas that will make us think of ceramics in completely new ways.”

Curator: Anna Briers

Curatorial associate: Belinda Briggs

Exhibition Dates: Saturday 17 June – Sunday 13 August 2017

Official Opening: Saturday 17 June, 4 to 6pm

Programs and events, including an artist talk prior to the official opening: www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/programs-and-events

For further information, print quality images, or to arrange interviews with SAM’s director Rebecca Coates or artists included, please contact SAM Marketing Co-coordinators on phone (03) 5832 9494 or by emailing amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au or sarah.werkmeister@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

High resolution images and artist biographies here -https://www.dropbox.com/sh/977r49ilh1fs9p8/AAC89V53f6mJfGBMsq-sWQlta?dl=0

SAM’s 27th Drawing Wall to Begin Next Week

25 May 2017

Shepparton Art Museum’s 27th Drawing Wall artist Bundit Puangthong will be live in creating new work directly outside SAM in the Eastbank Centre from Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June.

Bundit’s use of bright colours and symbology will be sure to incite curiosity from passers-by.

Media are invited to view, meet and talk to the Thai artist himself on Thursday 1 June at 2pm as he covers the large wall in the Eastbank Centre, directly outside of SAM.

SAM will also be holding a stencilling workshop using mixed media, acrylics and spray-paint with Bundit Puanthong on Tuesday 11 July. Bookings can be made via the SAM website www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/programs-and-events.

The Drawing Wall #27: Bundit Puangthong will be officially on show from June to 2 August 2017.

For further information, or to RSVP in meeting Bundit on Thursday 1 June, please contact SAM Marketing Co-ordinators Amina Barolli or Sarah Werkmeister on (03) 5832 9494.

IMAGE: Bundit Puanthong, Boys Don’t Cry, 2009. Acrylic, oil stick and aerosol on linen. Image courtesy Edwina Corlette © the artist.

Denton Corker Marshall wins new SAM architecture competition

19 April 2017

Greater Shepparton City Council is excited to announce the winner of the new Shepparton Art Museum architectural competition is Denton Corker Marshall.

The architectural competition for a new SAM (Shepparton Art Museum) and building jury recommendation was endorsed at the Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 18 April following a comprehensive design competition spanning several months.

The seven member expert jury report noted that the Denton Corker Marshall proposal was unanimously selected as the winning proposal for the Stage 2 Concept Design Competition after a robust and rigorous assessment of the five design concepts against the agreed criteria.

The Denton Corker Marshall proposal stood out because it combined a powerful and relevant conceptual idea – well-resolved and compelling in its sculptural expression and detail – with a highly adaptable, functional, safe and efficient solution, according to the report.

The jury report stated the building as a ‘beacon in the landscape’ and offers an expressive, innovative, contemporary and exciting SAM that works well with its immediate and greater environmental, social and cultural contexts. It is anticipated that the design will make an outstanding contribution to the identity and culture of Shepparton and Victoria.

The jury noted that each of the five shortlisted entries were carefully prepared and commended the entrants for their endeavour. The field of submissions was competitive and the jury considered each design carefully and at length against the design competition’s evaluation criteria. The design objectives clearly articulated specific design requirements which the jury focused on to reach their ultimate decision, which was unanimous.

The 1,417 submissions received from the community were discussed and taken into account by the jury during their deliberations. The jury was impressed with the detailed responses provided by the Greater Shepparton community, and wishes to thank all of those who took the time to provide feedback, of which added significant value to the final report.

On April 18 Council endorsed the jury’s recommendation to announce Denton Corker Marshall Architects as the winner of the Architectural Concept Design for the new Shepparton Art Museum; to award the winner with the prize of $10,000; and to authorise the Chief Executive Officer to negotiate and execute the necessary contract with Denton Corker Marshall in accordance with the provision of the SAM Architectural Concept Design Competition Conditions.

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Dinny Adem said the Council was thrilled to endorse the report from the expert jury and was looking forward to seeing the concept designs expanded into construction plans. “The new SAM is going to be something that Greater Shepparton can be proud of well into the future,’ said Cr Adem.

“The new SAM will be a game changer for the region, creating tourism and employment opportunities for Greater Shepparton and beyond. It will provide a cultural centre to our regional city but it will be more than an art museum; it will be a place for learning and experiencing, socialising and celebrations. The selected design is a reflection of what makes Greater Shepparton unique and we congratulate the competition winners in being able to capture this”, explained Cr Adem.

Denton Corker Marshall Design Director Adrian FitzGerald said “Our design is characterised by simplicity and clarity with compelling imagery creating a landmark cultural destination. By making the building small and tall we maximise parkland around the gallery and incorporate numerous places for community interaction, including a Sculpture Forecourt, Community Arbour, Art Hill, cafe and rooftop event venue along with sheltering verandahs to all four sides of the building. It will be an art museum that is a delight to work in and a pleasure to visit – again and again.”

SAM announces Learning Partnership with University of Melbourne.

4 April 2017

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is pleased to announce a new Learning Partnership with The University of Melbourne. The partnership will support the development of significant Indigenous initiatives and activities, embed teaching and learning opportunities for staff and students and establish a platform for collaborative, interdisciplinary cultural impact research.

SAM’s commitment to education spans across all ages and education levels. It has a strong dedication to the development of educational programs for primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Staff and students at tertiary level will have access to SAM’s collection and research, encouraging professional development opportunities as well as the opportunity to deeply engage with SAM’s collection and broader research.

SAM Curatorial Assistant Indigenous, Belinda Briggs, will work with the local Indigenous community and Kaiela Arts in partnership with the University on the co-design of the Museums Indigenous inclusion program along with the development of an Indigenous pathways initiative.

The announcement comes at an exciting time for SAM, as progress continues around the new SAM project. With this transition will come ample opportunity for new research and ideas around both art and the local Shepparton community to come to fruition. The new Art Museum will include a purpose built art museum space. Kaiela Arts and the Greater Shepparton Visitor Information Centre will be co-located in the new building. The new SAM will be a place for learning, enjoyment, a meeting place and great art.

Director of SAM Dr Rebecca Coates said:

‘We are delighted to be partnering with The University of Melbourne for this learning partnership. This is an exciting partnership that will enable us to continue to develop our work around teaching and learning and build Indigenous inclusivity.’

Australian and Indigenous Studies Expert from the University of Melbourne, Professor Marcia Langton AM said:

‘It’s my very great pleasure to announce the learning partnership between the University of Melbourne and the Shepparton Art Museum as part of our broader commitment to the Goulburn Valley. In the first twelve months, we will collaborate on a range of research, teaching and learning activities; establishing a platform across disciplines for Cultural Impact Research. We hope that this will come about in different ways, including through an Indigenous Inclusion Program, developed with the museum and Yorta Yorta people. There’s so much potential for this partnership, and I’m so honoured to announce it on behalf of the University.’

Further information, interviews requests and print quality images:
SAM Marketing Coordinators | (03) 5832 9494 | amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au or sarah.werkmeister@shepparton.vic.gov.au

IMAGE: L-R: Marcia Langton, Rebecca Coates, Belinda Briggs and Mary Robb. Photo by Diana Spriggs.

SAM is looking for a Business Development Manager

3 April 2017

An exciting position exists for a Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) Business Development Manager. This is a new position for the new Shepparton Art Museum Project and the ongoing structure of new SAM.

We are seeking a highly motivated professional who will support the transition of business from the current SAM to the new SAM facility. You will be part of an exciting new $34.5M development in Regional Victoria (Shepparton).

Working closely with, and reporting to the Director SAM, this position will be responsible for the new Shepparton Art Museum transition, including all staffing requirements, IT and communication, finance and set up of the new purpose built facility, management and accountability of all grants and funding agreements, including acquittal reporting and coordination of the transfer of the art collection,. This position will initially have a lead role in the liaison between Kaiela Arts and Visitor Information transition.

The successful applicant would have a strong leadership profile, demonstrated management experience in a business and commercial operations environment financial management, preferably in the cultural sector, and demonstrable success in the initiation and implementation of partnership and sponsorship strategies and campaigns, and public building and cultural infrastructure projects.

To join the SAM team you will be required to have a tertiary qualification at a degree level in business management, high level experience in business development in an arts environment and proven financial management experience / Chartered Accountant or CPA.

For a full position description and to apply please go to the Greater Shepparton City Council website https://greatershepparton.com.au.

For more information about this position please contact Rebecca Coates, Director SAM on 03 5832 9861.

FRESHWATER

3 March 2017

From 1 April to 4 June 2017, Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) presents FRESHWATER, an exhibition that considers how water reflects ecological, cultural, political and economic realities.

Through the works of over 20 Australian artists and artist collectives, alongside historic works drawn from the SAM Collection, FRESHWATER highlights how water remains central to identity, and to how and where we live.

Issues range from ecological concerns about rising salinity, healthy ecologies, refuse and waste, to the inevitable contest around sustainable balances between conservation concerns and agricultural needs. Rivers and waterways also have cultural and historical significance – sustaining work and life and as constantly flowing reminders of stories that stretch across time and place.

Waterways are also political, as delineations of boundaries and territories and as places of political activism and historically significant events. In 1939, over 150 Aboriginal people left the Mission near Barmah on the New South Wales side of the Murray River in an event that became known as the Cumeragunja Walk-Off. Crossing the border from NSW into Victoria, they were protesting against the conditions and policies governing the Mission. The first-ever mass strike of Aboriginal people in Australia, they walked 66km to Shepparton, and many subsequently settled on the Flats between Mooroopna and Shepparton. The Barmah State Forest is the traditional land of local Indigenous people: a constantly evolving landscape dependent on the seasons from flood to drought.

Two major waterways meet at the heart of Shepparton: The Goulburn River (or Kaiela River as local Aboriginal people refer to it); and the Broken River. The Goulburn River then runs from Shepparton through to Echuca, where it joins the Murray River. This region is rich and fertile, sustaining economies and agricultural practices including cattle and dairy, to the orchards for which Shepparton is known.

Dr Rebecca Coates said: ‘This is a must see Shepparton show. Too much water, not enough water; these are the opening remarks for many a conversation around Australia.’

Through a range of media, from video and moving image, works on paper, installation and sound, artists and arts collectives selected enable us to engage with these central issues around water of our times.

FRESHWATER artists include: Ian Abdulla, Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley, Louis Buvelot, Vera Cooper, Nici Cumpston, Bonita Ely, Jackie Giles Tjapaltjarri, Eugene von Guerard, Brent Harris, Andrew Hazewinkel, Jonathan Jones and Tom Nicholson, Rosemary Laing, Sir John Longstaff, James Morrison, Albert Namatjira, Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa, Rosie Nanyuma, Wintijya Napaljarri, Lin Onus, Jill Orr, Tiger Palpatja, Eva Ponting, John Skinner Prout, Sally Ross, The Telepathy Project, Gloria Thanacoupie, Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula, Fred Williams, John Wolseley and more.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences are advised that the exhibition may contain images and voices of people who have since passed away.

Curator: Rebecca Coates, Curatorial associates: Anna Briers, Belinda Briggs

Exhibition Dates: Saturday 1 April – Sunday 4 June 2017

Official Opening: Friday 31 March, 5.30 to 7.30pm

For further information, print quality images, or to arrange interviews with SAM’s director Rebecca Coates or artists included, please contact SAM Marketing Coordinator on phone (03) 5832 9494 or by email amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

Image: Nici Cumpston, Budgee Creek 1, Barmah National Park (detail) 2013, SAM Collection, commissioned by the Friends of SAM, 2013

2017 Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award Shortlisted Artists

31 January 2017

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is delighted to announce the five shortlisted artists who will present new artworks in the 2017 Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award (SMFACA). The Award celebrates and promotes contemporary Australian artists working in the ceramic medium. With $50,000 in prize money, the SMFACA cements its place as the premier Australian acquisitive ceramic art award.

The 2017 shortlisted artists are:

Glenn Barkley
Karen Black
Laith McGregor
Jenny Orchard
Yasmin Smith

The shortlisted artists will present their new bodies of work at SAM from 17 June to 13 August 2017. The winner for this acquisitive prize will be announced during the exhibition’s official opening event on Saturday 17 June 2017. Accompanying the exhibition will be a series of public programs and floor talks.

The 2017 Award will be judged by Jacqueline Doughty, Curatorial Manager, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne; Jason Smith, Director, Geelong Art Gallery; and Dr Rebecca Coates, Director, Shepparton Art Museum.

SAM Director, Dr Rebecca Coates commented on behalf of the judges:

“We wish to commend and thank all of the artists who submitted proposals for the 2017 Sidney Myer Fund Australia Ceramic Award The five shortlisted artists selected by the judges reflect the exciting and innovative ways that artists are working with ceramics as a contemporary medium. We look forward to seeing how their projects develop and evolve with much anticipation.”

The 2017 SMFACA attracted competitive applications from around the country and 2017 saw an increase in application numbers with a further 25% of applications being received from around Australia as compared to 2015.

For further information, print quality images of past Award winners, or to arrange interviews with SAM staff, please contact SAM Marketing Co-ordinator Amina Barolli on phone (03) 5832 9494 or email amina.barolli@shepparton.vic.gov.au. A Media Kit is available by request.

Welcome to 2017 at SAM

3 January 2017

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is proud to launch the SAM Program for January to April this week. Showcasing four jam-packed months ahead, the SAM Program outlines temporary exhibitions, upcoming workshops, talks and other special events, as well as everyday offerings for all to enjoy.

EXHIBITIONS

Later this month, SAM is delighted to present the collaborative work of Tracey Moffatt and Gary Hillberg in the exhibition Montages: The Full Cut, 1999 – 2015 developed by Artspace, Sydney and touring nationally in partnership with Museums & Galleries of NSW. Using an extensive collection of iconic Hollywood films, telemovies and arthouse cinema, Montages: The Full Cut, 1999 – 2015 invents new fictions and plays with narrative and character conventions to create highly charged compositions on themes such as love, art, revolution and destruction. SAM is the only Victorian venue presenting this exhibition.

In addition, SAM will present Tracey Moffatt’s First Jobs Series, 2008. Digitally inserting her likeness into these photographs, Moffatt humorously reminds us of our own first job experiences, with some great references to Shepparton’s preserving industry.

In early March, SAM will celebrate the launch of its biggest Collection publication since 1987, Eighty Years of SAM – The Collection. Audiences are invited to view the corresponding exhibition, curated to celebrate 80 years of collecting and exhibiting great art.

Currently on show, Drawing Wall #25 features a large scale collage work by Melbourne-based artist Elizabeth Gower on the 4 x 12 metre wall in the Eastbank Centre, next door to the art museum. In February, SAM will commission an exciting new work by Jon Campbell for Drawing Wall #26.

Also currently showing until 19 March is Some of the Things I Like (2016) by the artist simply known as Nell. She curated the cabinet of curiosities using ceramics and other treasures from the SAM Collection, alongside her own artworks and objects from her personal collection.

The third successful year of SAM’s Showcase will initially see artists Andrei Davidoff and Leah Jackson present their work in the display cabinet behind SAM’s Shop. This series of Showcase exhibitions is curated in partnership with Melbourne-based gallery and retailer Mr Kitly, providing visitors and collectors with a unique opportunity to acquire work by accomplished ceramic artists.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

To kick off the year, SAM will present its popular Summer Holiday Program of art-making for people of all ages and skill-levels from 17 to 25 January. Families should especially look out for the free weekend program presented by the National Gallery of Victoria, Kids on Tour, on 24 to 25 January from 10.30am to noon.

ONE, TWO, THREE DANCE!

Come and dance at SAM. Join local Aboriginal dance group Individual Spirits to learn traditional cultural dance rituals with a modern hip hop twist.

When: Tuesday 17 January, 10.30am to 12.30pm Audience: Primary school years Cost: $15 (Friends $13) Tutor: Individual Spirits Dance Crew Bookings: On the SAM website via Eventbrite

Let’s Create – Drawing Class

Come to SAM for an all ages drawing class in the museum spaces. Learn drawing skills and techniques while taking inspiration from SAM’s Collection exhibition 80/80: Eighty Years of SAM The Collection.

When: Thursday 19 January, 10.30am to 12.30pm Audience: All years and skill levels Cost: $10 (Friends $8) Tutor: Isabelle Kawai Vincent Bookings: On the SAM website via Eventbrite

Make and Do NGV Kids on Tour program

Taking inspiration from the SAM exhibition 80/80: Eighty Years of SAM The Collection and the National Gallery of Victoria’s summer exhibition program, come into SAM and join in the fun of creating! Activities include collaborative drawing and making wearable art out of paper.

When: Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 January, 10.30 to noon daily Audience: Families Cost: FREE Bookings: On the SAM website via Eventbrite

In addition, SAM is thrilled to announce the return of popular programs Art for Small Hands (for children 3 to 6 years and their carer) and SAM Out Late! (for those wanting to access the museum after hours and meet new friends). This year also sees the return of the SAM Art Passport, designed to encourage children and families to learn about the artworks through self-guided tours. Teachers and students can also access professional development workshops and talks.

To view the SAM Program January to April 2017 which includes all of the above: https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/programs-and-events

Free hard copies will be available from the SAM Shop (70 Welsford Street, Shepparton) from 11 January, and in the Shepparton News on Friday 13 January.

SAM is open 7 days from 10am to 4pm (public holidays 1pm to 4pm).

SAM to Present: Tracey Moffatt and Gary Hillberg. Featuring Montages: The Full Cut, 1999 – 2015

13 December 2016

from January 28 to March 19 2017

SAM is delighted to present the collaborative work of Tracey Moffatt and Gary Hillberg in the exhibition Montages: The Full Cut, 1999 – 2015 developed by Artspace, Sydney and touring nationally in partnership with Museums & Galleries of NSW.

Alongside the eight montage films, SAM will also present Moffatt’s First Jobs Series, (2008). Moffatt collected the series of 12 photographs which relate directly to past jobs she has held. Digitally inserting her likeness into these photographs Moffatt reflects on her past jobs from working in a pineapple cannery to a fresh fruit grocer, evoking a sense of nostalgia that we can all relate to.

Montages: The Full Cut, 1999 – 2015 presents eight montage films that reflect on cinema and the cinematic form, offering unprecedented insight into the stereotypes that populate our collective cultural imagination. Using an extensive collection of iconic Hollywood films, telemovies and arthouse cinema, Montages: The Full Cut, 1999 – 2015 invents new fictions and plays with narrative and character conventions to create highly charged compositions on themes such as love, art, revolution and destruction.

Tracey Moffatt is regarded internationally as one of the most important Australian artists of our time, and in 2017 will become the first Australian Indigenous artist to present a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Gary Hillberg has been a long-time collaborator of Moffatt’s and also has an independent practice as an experimental filmmaker and music video producer.

SAM Director, Dr Rebecca Coates said:

“Tracey Moffatt is one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. Her films are a riotous, funny and irreverent critique of stereotypes and the great themes of life.
We are delighted to partner with Artspace to present this exhibition alongside Moffatt’s First Job Series with which we can all relate.”

Tracey Moffatt and Gary Hillberg. Featuring Montages: The Full Cut, 1999 – 2015 will be showing at SAM from January 28 to March 19 2017, with Shepparton being the only Victorian location for the touring show.

SAM presents Montages: The Full Cut, 1999-2015, an exhibition developed by Artspace and toured nationally in partnership with Museums & Galleries of NSW, alongside key works by Tracey Moffatt.

Image Credit: Tracey Moffatt & Gary Hillberg, Love (still), 2003, 21 minutes, looped video, sound, Courtesy the artist, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery and Tyler Rollins Fine Art, New York.

SAM Local Exhibitions to open

2 December 2016

Friday 10 December to Sunday 15 January, 2017

Across December and January SAM goes local spotlighting the practice of regional artists with three exhibitions, SAM Local Spotlight, SAM Local: VCE Art & Studio Arts and SAM Local: Best of Friends.

SAM Local: Spotlight showcases the work of Echuca-based artist, Tarli Bird.

Bird’s practice combines her two passions in life: sport and art.

Tarli Bird said:

“As an elite distance runner I’m always fascinated when people regard sport and art as being polar opposites. I find athletes and artists contain very similar attributes that I’m looking forward to highlighting in my exhibition.’

Bird will be recording the heart rates of local runners on Saturday 3^rd December at parkrun held at Shepparton’s Victoria Lake. This data will be transposed through the musical device of the metronome into an immersive sound piece.

Alongside SAM Local Spotlight, SAM Local: VCE Art & Studio Arts exhibition will present students work from around the Goulburn Valley giving the community a unique insight into the lives of these young adults and emerging artists.

The community will also have their say with the chance to vote for their favourite VCE Art & Studio Arts work in the “People’s Choice Award”. Voting will open on Friday 9 December at 6pm and close on the 20 December. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 21 December 2016.

The community will also be able to view the talents of the Friends of SAM in the exhibition SAM Local: Best of Friends. This multi-disciplinary exhibition highlights the diversity and commitment of local artists to their practice.

All three exhibitions will open to the public on Saturday 10 December and run until Sunday 15 January, 2017.

SAM Local: VCE Art & Studio Arts and SAM Local Spotlight: Tarli Bird will be officially opened on Friday 9 December from 6pm at SAM with opening remarks by John Head, local business owner and supporter of the arts.

SAM Local: Best of Friends will be officially opened on Friday 16 December from 6pm with the Friends of SAM Christmas Party to follow.

To RSVP for the opening events please email sam-rsvp@shepparton.vic.gov.au or call (03) 5832 986.

Media Preview:

Thursday 8 December, 2.30 to 3.30pm – Shepparton Art Museum, 70 Welsford Street, Shepparton.

Image: Tarli Bird, Race Results, Photo: Michael Roche, New Wave Festival, 2010 Melbourne, image courtesy and © the artist.

SAM Shop Sale in December

1 December 2016

Leading up to Christmas receive 10% of at the SAM shop each Friday.

Come into the SAM shop tomorrow and receive 10% off.

Leading up to Christmas receive 10% of at the SAM shop each Friday.

The SAM shop is a fantastic place to purchase artist-made ceramics and gifts. The shop stocks work by a number of local and interstate artists including Erin Lightfoot, Emily Green, Samantha Robinson, Owen Rye, Kaye Poulton and Ruby Pilvan. It features a curated selection of Australian craft and design while supporting some of the region’s best artistic talent. The shop also stocks a range of publications, including SAM exhibition catalogues, books on art and Australian ceramics, plus a range of art magazines.

Free gift wrapping is also available.

The SAM shop is open 10am to 4pm daily.

Sale excludes cards, books and Showcase.

December and January at SAM

28 November 2016

SAM festive season opening hours.

SAM will be open all summer closing only on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Exhibition showing at SAM in December 2016 and January 2017:
80/80. Eighty years of SAM. The Collection
SAM Local Spotlight: Tarli Bird
SAM Local: VCE Art & Studio Arts
SAM Local: Best of Friends
Showcase #12: Andrei Davidoff
Drawing Wall #25: Elizabeth Gower

We look forward to greeting you over December and January.

Festive season opening hours:

Sunday 25 December	Closed
Monday 26 December	1pm to 4pm
Tuesday 27 December	1pm to 4pm
Wednesday 28 December	10am to 4 pm
Thursday 29 December	10am to 4pm
Friday 30 December	10am to 4pm
Saturday 31 December	10am to 4pm
Sunday 01 January	Closed
Monday 02 January	1pm to 4pm
Tuesday 03 January	10am to 4pm

Raquel Ormella Biography:

Festive season opening hours:

Traditional Owners Acknowledgement.