Image: Shepparton Art Museum
Shepparton Art Museum is showing 'Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso', a major exhibition drawn from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki that brings 37 paintings and sculptures to Shepparton. Running from 23 May to 20 September 2026, the exhibition spans nearly a century of artistic innovation and assembles works that have never before been shown in Australia, according to the museum.
The exhibition traces the radical shifts that shaped modern art from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. SAM says visitors move through major movements of the period, including Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism and post-war abstraction. The show includes works by Pierre Bonnard, Georges Braque, Paul Cézanne, Salvador Dalí, Paul Gauguin, Barbara Hepworth, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, among others.
Among the works highlighted on the exhibition page is Henri Matisse’s 'Espagnole (Buste)/The Spanish Woman' from 1922. SAM identifies the presentation as including a major philanthropic gift from New York-based collectors Julian Robertson and Josie Robertson to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in 2023. The museum’s text says that gift offers a rare glimpse into the vision of the couple and their commitment to sharing and celebrating modern art.
The exhibition is presented in the Lin Onus Gallery on Level 1 at Shepparton Art Museum. SAM lists ticketing options for single visits, a double-pass valid for seeing both 'Facing Modernity' and the Archibald Prize 2026 between 5 and 20 September, and a multi-pass for Greater Shepparton residents and Friends of SAM. During the run of 'Facing Modernity', the museum says it is open seven days a week from 10am to 4pm, with extended Friday hours to 7pm until 24 July.
SAM has also built a programme of tours and workshops around the exhibition. Guided tours led by SAM Programs Coordinator Bryony Large are offered on selected dates and are included at no extra cost with the 2pm exhibition ticket. The museum also lists an accessible early viewing session in a quieter, low-sensory environment with audio guides, large-print wall texts and tactile resources, designed for visitors who prefer a calmer experience, including those with vision impairment or sensory needs.
Family-focused activities include 'Petit Picasso Studio for Kids', a free drop-in workshop inspired by 'Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso', and a ballet-inspired life drawing session led by artist Debra Winn. For adults, SAM is planning 'Bar SAM Soirée' on 21 August, described as a final winter after-hours event with live jazz by Brian Matthews and Wade Gregory. The museum is also using the exhibition as a framework for outreach, with 'Picasso on the Road: SAM Van Outreach Program' running from 23 May to 20 September and taking objects linked to the show into schools and community spaces.
'Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso' remains on view until 20 September 2026, with the exhibition page identifying Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki as curator and the Lin Onus Gallery at SAM as the location.
