Painting true to life: Shepparton artist and SAM Friends committee member Valentina Fantone with committee president Ann Fagan and Mrs Fantone’s painting of the new SAM building.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Friendships are made of conversation, shared interests and good times.
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So it’s no wonder the Friends of Shepparton Art Museum (formerly gallery) has been around for 50 years.
For half a century there have been bus trips to other galleries, fundraising events and raffles, exhibitions and, of course, lots of chat about art.
Kialla’s Ann Fagan has been a Friend of SAM for 12 years and president of the committee for the past seven years.
A retired Shepparton High School teacher and education program manager, Ms Fagan has enjoyed a lifelong love of art, nurtured by an inspirational teacher as a youngster.
“I never had the opportunity to pursue the interest when I was working,” she said.
“I have no great talent, but I appreciate the history of art, and knowing about art has certainly made me enjoy travel more.”
Ms Fagan said while SAM Friends memberships dropped off during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers were now heading back up to a healthy 500.
“There were also quite a number of people who maintained their memberships — people saw it as a way to show support,” she said.
She said three-quarters of the Friends came from the Goulburn Valley, but there were also members from Melbourne, and from across Victoria and interstate.
The Friends also hold an annual exhibition of members’ work in the community gallery, and donate money to a museum acquisition fund.
Friends fundraisers have donated more than $110,000 to the acquisition fund and the SAM Foundation since 2016 when the foundation was formed.
More recently, the Friends donated $10,000 to purchase a new work by Aboriginal artist Maree Clarke, Connection to Country — I Remember When, which now sits in SAM’s front window ready for this week’s opening.
Art in a bottle: Shepparton wine expert Paul Phillips with the specially chosen commemorative SAM wines for sale at Phillips Cellars on Corio St.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
The latest fundraising idea is a release of commemorative wine to celebrate the complete opening of the new SAM building on Saturday, November 20.
Two regional wines, a Dookie Shiraz 2018 and a King Valley Pinot Grigio 2020 have been chosen by Shepparton wine expert and Phillips Cellars owner Paul Phillips.
The label features a bold and colourful acrylic painting of the striking new SAM building at Victoria Park Lake by Shepparton artist and Friends committee member Valentina Fantone.
“We hope people will take advantage of the offer for Christmas gifts or souvenirs,” Ms Fagan said.
She said all money raised would go to the SAM Foundation and to the Friends’ acquisition fund.
Ms Fagan said she was now looking forward to SAM’s opening — particularly as the new building would offer more space to display recent acquisitions that had been in storage during the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition period.
“Some of the acquisitions we’ve made over the past few years, we haven’t been able to show — we just didn’t have the space. So that’s pretty exciting,” she said.
The two SAM commemorative wines are on sale in any quantity at Phillips Wine Cellars and Regional Wine Centre at 119 Corio St, Shepparton. For more information, phone 5821 2051. A presentation pack with the two wines costs $45.
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