Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) holds one of Australia’s most significant collections of Australian ceramics.

Begun in 1965 with the acquisition of a simple coil pot, the museum’s collection is rich and idiosyncratic; including convict-era pottery, an archive of commercially produced domestic ware, studio ceramics from the 1920s onward and contemporary art.

Along with the ceramics collection, SAM holds a historically significant collection of Australian painting, works on paper and sculpture, and a growing collection of contemporary art.

Two recent exhibitions at SAM - the Sydney Myer Fund Ceramic Award and Occasional Miracles: Contemporary artists respond to the Shepparton Art Museum collection - demonstrate the museum's committment to promoting the richness and complexity of ceramic history and production in Australia through innovative and critical curatorial models.

The exhibitions also demonstrate SAM's vision to actively involve contemporary artists in the museum's programs.

Hear from artists involved in the 2013 Sydney Myer Fund Ceramic Award blog.