Donation completes community payments for SAM building

By Kate Walters

Oct 18, 2024

Shepparton Art Museum Foundation Chair Clare Pullar, Sir Andrew & Lady Fairley Foundation Chair Andrew Fairley AM, Sam Zurcas, Nick Zurcas, Peter Zurcas, SAM Development Manager Carmel Johnson, and Shepparton Art Museum Ltd Chair Stephen Merrylees gather at the Shepparton Art Museum to announce a major donation on Friday, October 18, 2024.

The Shepparton Art Museum Foundation has received a generous contribution.

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The Zurcas family and the Sir Andrew & Lady Fairley Foundation have donated $250,000 to the SAM capital campaign.

The donation is the final piece of the puzzle for the community’s contributions to the construction of the SAM building on the south-eastern corner of Victoria Park Lake.

“This is such an important cultural institution for Victoria, for Australia, but also for Shepparton,” chair of the Sir Andrew and Lady Fairley foundation Andrew Fairley AM said.

Mr Fairley said the foundation is thrilled to partner with an iconic local family to make this donation.

The foundation matched a gift from the Zurcas family, with the combined contributions equalling $250,000.

“This gallery has now, and will continue to have, such an enduring legacy for the liveability of Shepparton and the attraction of Shepparton to the broader tourism market, and to Victoria,” he said.

“It sets a whole new standard in terms of regional galleries in Australia.”

Construction of the SAM building cost roughly $50 million, with contributions from local, state and federal government, and from the community.

The fundraising for the community portion of the cost – more than $7 million – ran through the pandemic, and SAM Foundation members said they’re grateful for every dollar the community contributed to the project.

The new donation completes the fundraising campaign and community input for construction of the gallery.

Nick Zurcas said his family is proud to be able to support the cause.

“Our grandfather, Bill, came to Shepparton more than 80 years ago as a migrant from Greece,” he said.

“He established successful businesses in the Goulburn Valley and the Shepparton region, principally in agriculture, transport, hospitality and accommodation.

“By giving this gift to Shepparton we feel that as a family we are honouring his memory and giving back to the community he called home."

The area of the gallery adjacent to Elsewhere at SAM, the building’s café, will be dubbed ‘Zurcas Landing’ in honour of the family.

The space will be officially christened later this year.

SAM opened to the public in late 2021.

It’s located on Yorta Yorta Country and is recognised for its significant Australian ceramics collection, and significant collection of Indigenous art.