Exhibitions
Exhibitions
Portrait of a Lady brings together,for the first time, a stunning selection of paintings of women by one of Australia's most highly regarded portrait painters, Sir John Longstaff. In the late 19th and early 20th century only the affluent and those of a certain social standing were able to have their portraits painted, and the works in this show thus provide a fascinating insight into Australian history. Many of the portraits are of the wives of wealthy, notable men, yet several had distinguished careers of their own, including suffragette Rose Scott, the distinguished flower painter Rowan Ellis and the writer, poet, radio broadcaster, and Longstaff biographer, Nina Murdoch.
The portraits selected for this exhibition offer an opportunity to review the tradition of portrait painting through the career of a particularly talented and gifted painter, and to observe the development of Longstaff's style and technique over a period of five decades. Featuring works from SAM's collection as well as loans from the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of NSW, the National Library and numerous private collections, this is one of the most significant exhibitions of Shepparton's most celebrated artist ever staged.
The 2011 Indigenous Ceramic Art Award (ICAA) celebrates and supports the rich, vibrant and diverse use of the ceramic medium by Indigenous Australian artists. With a combined prize pool of $33,000 the ICAA is the premier award for Indigenous Australian ceramic artists. This year's award includes work by 18 artists from across Australia: from the Tiwi Islands to the Central Desert region, and from city suburbs to the Torres Strait.
The 2011 ICAA also pays tribute to the generosity and achievements of Thapich Dr Gloria Fletcher AO, patron of the ICAA, in an accompanying exhibition of the artist's work from SAM's collection.
A program of workshops and talks will accompany the 2011 ICAA exhibition.
Providing a new direction in the delivery of arts education in the Hume region, Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) partnered with Numurkah Primary School to deliver a 20 week ceramic art project during semester 2. SAM education staff and renowned artists have worked with Numurkah teachers to inspire creative ideas in art making and skills development while promoting social engagement and personal learning through the arts.
Selected Little Treasures from each student will be on display at the Launch Party of Shepparton Art Museum on Saturday 18 February 2012 until April 2012. With the reopening of the Art Museum students will be further encouraged to run some of their own workshops and exhibition tours for the general public. A Little Treasures exhibition catalogue will also be published.
The Little Treasures: Exploring Ourselves Through Clay program, was funded through Arts Victoria's, Education Partnerships: Extended School Residencies program. It is one of seven successful arts based proposals to receive funding and support through this program in 2011.
