WINTER BLOCKBUSTER | Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Featuring artworks from Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Barbara Hepworth, Salvador Dalí, and more, Shepparton Art Museum presents ‘Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso’ — a major touring exhibition bringing together 37 exceptional paintings and sculptures from the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki never before shown in Australia that capture the radical shifts in art from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century.
Spanning nearly a century of artistic innovation, audiences will embark on a journey tracing the major art movements of the modern era, from Impressionism and Post-Impressionism to Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism and post-war abstraction.
‘Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso’ at SAM will be an Australian exclusive, on display from 23 May to 20 September 2026, with tickets on sale from 23 April.
To read the full media release, follow our link in bio.
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Artwork credits: 1. Henri Matisse, Espagnole (Buste)/The Spanish Woman, 1922, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Julian and Josie Robertson through the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation, 2023
2. Edgar Degas, Danseuse mettant son bas/Dancer putting on her stocking, 1920s-1930s {cast}, 1890s {conceived}, 1911 {conceived}, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1956
3. Paul Cezanne, La route (Le mur d’enceinte)/The Road (The Old Wall), 1875-1876, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Julian and Josie Robertson through the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation, 2023
4. André Derain, Paysage à l’Estaque (Estaque Landscape), 1906, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Julian and Josie Robertson through the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation, 2023
Matisse! Picasso! Brushstrokes! We’re one week away from ‘Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki’ - find out what the SAM team is most looking forward to when our winter blockbuster opens.
Celebrate the opening next Saturday with us with a day of art, hands-on workshops, and insightful talks - find out more and get your tickets now at our link in bio.
We'll be at the Melbourne Art Book Fair this week! Swing by the SAM stall and discover our art journal MASS and other fun merch this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 15-17 May. Find the full program at our link in bio - see you there!
Melbourne Art Book Fair is presented as part of Melbourne Design Week, an initiative of the Victorian Government
#MelbourneArtBookFair #NGV @NGVMelbourne
Happy Mother's Day to all the mums and mother-figures out there! We wish you a day of warmth, creativity, and joy as we celebrate all that you do - today and everyday.
Families with little kids and big kids alike can delight in our Children's Gallery - why not dedicate a drawing to mum today?
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Images: SAM Soccer Academy, presented by Tully Moore, installation view, Shepparton Art Museum, 2026. Photos: Leon Schoots
The countdown is on — Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki opens at SAM in two weeks!
Our winter blockbuster exhibition opens in T-minus 14 days, and we can't wait to welcome you into the world of the modern masters to discover rarely-seen treasures from Henri Matisse, Auguste Rodin, Salvador Dalí, Eileen Mayo, and so many more. The exhibition will kick off with a day of celebration filled with talks, workshops, and special treats - learn more and get your tickets at the link in bio.
Give the gift of art this Mother's Day!
Treat mum to a museum date with Picasso, Degas, Matisse and other masters of modern art with a ticket to our winter blockbuster 'Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki'.
Tickets are on sale online and in person in the SAM Shop - and if your mum is a local, why not get her a special multi-pass ticket, giving her five admissions to Facing Modernity and the Archibald Prize 2026 to use as she likes?
Follow the link in our bio to book tickets online, or come and see us in store on Level 1, and discover our full range of gifts to tie everything together.
Discover atmospheric paintings by Jeffrey Smart, Rick Amor, Rover Thomas and Ethel Carrick Fox alongside richly textured ceramics in the latest refresh of 'Stories from the SAM Collection' on our Level 2.
The new additions to the ever-changing display include artworks from the Benalla Art Gallery collection, a portion of which is being housed at SAM while the gallery undergoes an exciting refurbishment - presenting a wonderful opportunity to visitors to experience the two collections in dialogue with each other.
Visit us this weekend and explore what's new - free entry, open 10am-4pm.
We're in the final days of 'Nyini Woka (My Place)' at SAM!
Time has flown, and we've enjoyed the stories and reflections that have flowed out of this beautiful exhibition, featuring diverse works by First Nations artists from across this vast continent alongside local stories of Yorta Yorta country. Visit us before 3 May to catch a last glimpse of ‘Nyini Woka’ - free entry, open 10am-4pm.
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Images: ‘Nyini Woka (My Place) featuring artwork from the Carrillo and Ziyin Gantner Collection of Australian Indigenous Art’, installation view, Shepparton Art Museum, 2026. Photos: Leon Schoots
Date night, end-of-week debrief, work catch-up – whatever the occasion, Bar SAM is here for you from 5pm to 8pm on Friday 8 May.
Bringing you an ambient bar experience on the museum’s top level, enjoy drinks and bar snacks from the talented crew at Elsewhere at SAM in an architectural space while watching the sun set over the Goulburn river.
Get your friends together and grab tickets now at our link in bio – tickets $16, strictly 18+ event.
Tickets now on sale | Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso from the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
This winter, we invite you to step back in time to the turn of the century and discover 37 masterpieces that trace the journey to modern art in ‘Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso’, a touring exhibition from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki showing exclusively at Shepparton Art Museum from 23 May.
Tickets are now on sale - pre-book yours online or in person at SAM. Learn more at our link in bio.
Things are starting to look a little different at SAM...
In preparation for our upcoming blockbuster exhibition ‘Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso’, the SAM Shop has now moved to Level 1, while our former shop space on the Ground Floor is transforming into our new ticketing desk.
You can find our selection of curated wares and gifts on Level 1 now - and you might even discover some exciting new merchandise celebrating our upcoming exhibitions...
