THE builders have finished all the works and the final touches have been put in place to the point where the Council took possession of the building earlier this month and will now start to move in.
Tenants will be SAM Limited, Kaiela Arts and the Greater Shepparton Visitor Centre.
“We’ve all watched the new SAM building take shape with great anticipation over the past 18 months and finally moving day is here!” said Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr
Kim O’Keeffe. “The new SAM building is already iconic, and we are looking forward to inviting in the community and visitors to make the most of all the experiences that will be on offer. It’s been compelling to see how the design has transformed into this unique, grand building, but just wait to see what will be on offer inside.”
SAM, Kaiela Arts and the Visitor Centre will commence transitioning to the new site from March 1. It is anticipated that the new SAM building will be open to visitors as of March 31, with Kaiela Arts and the Visitor Centre likely to be fully operational at that time, along with the SAM gift shop.
While the ground floor will be open to the public in late March, levels one to four will remain closed until closer to the Opening Launch in October to enable SAM to complete the installation of its collection and upcoming exhibition program.
A grand opening weekend is planned for 15 -17 October 2021 once SAM’s collections, exhibition installations and programs are in place.
While reaching the physical completion stage, along with the moving in of the tenants, there are still some elements that are being finalised. This includes SAM Limited appointing a successful tenderer to operate the new SAM café and function space.
“New SAM provides the opportunity for the Shepparton Art Museum, Kaiela Arts and our Visitor Centre to work together to further strengthen how we recognise and celebrate Greater Shepparton, particularly our Indigenous heritage and the role it plays in our past, present and future”, suggests Cr O’Keeffe. “Having our Visitor Centre located in new SAM – the gateway to Greater Shepparton, will also enhance the way in which we welcome visitors to our region.”
