For the past six years Rebecca Coates has steered the rolling ship of the Shepparton Art Museum through storms and windless seas to reach its home port on the shores of Victoria Park Lake.
Along the way, she has faced an undercurrent of public resentment towards the $50 million project, a revolving door of staff resignations, the logistical challenge of moving the museum’s entire 4000-piece collection and moving goalposts of visitations and grand openings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s been a huge journey, but a gift and a joy,” she said, playing down the challenges and frustrations of the past six years.
Last week’s announcement of her resignation, while it might have surprised some, is no doubt a relief for the mother-of-two, who said it was time to hand over stewardship for the institution as it entered a new era.
“There’s never a good time to announce these things, but I feel now is the right time to hand the baton on,” she said.
“The organisation has a fantastic team, and the community can finally see what an incredible asset it has now and into the future.”
She said the past six years had been a personal “juggling act”, dividing her time between her family in Melbourne and her commitments to the Shepparton community.
“Obviously I could not have done it without the support of my family — my two girls, who have gone through VCE, and my husband, who took on the role of inaugural CEO of the Grattan Institute. But all families make it work somehow,” she said.
During her SAM tenure, Dr Coates has curated and co-curated 29 exhibitions and overseen 111 exhibitions. The museum’s annual Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award has increased its profile, along with the museum’s First Nations art collection and community engagement. Also, 588 acquisitions valued at $3 million have been added to the museum’s collection.
However, it will be the new SAM building that will remain as Dr Coates’ major Shepparton legacy.
She admits the journey has not been a smooth one. Public resentment at the amount of money spent and ripples of resentment at more than a dozen staff resignations continue to fester.
“We live in a culture where the nay-sayers have a strong voice. Social media in Shepparton is the same as everywhere else — you have your hate mail, and these are things you have to put away and move on,” she said.
She admitted some staff had left under a cloud of disgruntlement.
“I think it’s disappointing,” she said.
“I think managing a big project through COVID played into that. But growing a new organisation requires certain skills — and the hardest thing in management is attracting good staff.”
Dr Coates said no firm date had been set for exiting her role at SAM.
“At the moment there are still some things I’m working on with the team,” she said.
“But I am looking forward to a big rest. Then we’ll see what happens, I’m always open to new opportunities.”
Apart from the big picture stuff, Dr Coates said it would be the little things she would take with her when she left.
“I will miss swimming with the Shepparton Crocs — I love that group,” she said.
“Then there’s the art communities at places like Murchison, Dookie and Violet Town — they are the fabric of life.”