Share Your Vision for a Future SAM is a campaign which SAM (SHepparton Art Museum) has developed to capture public, industry and artists ideas about possible ideas for what a Museum of the future might be. If you were to design a new art Museum, its spaces, exhibitions, collection, programs, café, restrooms, meetings spaces, events what would you do? More-over, what do you want out of an Art Museum experience? How do you want to feel when you go to an art Museum? Share your vision is a blue sky project. It is about bringing out and sharing all the possible ideas and visions of what a future SAM might be, and it is possible that your idea might happen.
The Share Your Vision campaign, invites all people whether you’ve ever been to SAM before or not, to contribute an idea. It is part of the consultation now underway as part of the Future SAM Feasibility Study, which will be completed in December 2014. The Feasibility Study project was awarded to international tourism consultants Simon McArthur & Associates, who have an extensive background in cultural tourism development, including the highly awarded Q Station retreat on Sydney’s North Head.
The City of Greater Shepparton and Regional Development Victoria are jointly funding a project to develop options for a new SAM, and to then test the feasibility of the best option. The feasibility project will run over four phases and is programmed to be finished by the end of 2014.
Phase 1 involves researching the latest trends with art museums and how cities have used them to help transform their economies, and will then determine what sort of visitors a new SAM should target. A report on the findings will be presented to the Board on September 11.
Phase 2 opens up the major consultation to build, test and refine options for a new SAM. Consultation will include stakeholder interviews, workshops and an online opportunity for locals and people across Australia to suggest ideas. The Project will choose a small set to then test online with the target markets. At the end of Phase 2 the Project Board will assess the options and decide which one or combination has the most merit.
Phase 3 further develops the chosen option, market tests and refines it, costs its development and operation, and determines its potential economic and social impacts. Assuming that the chosen option is feasible, Phase Four involves full documentation and a Business Plan, for a possible new SAM.
As for now, SAM is inviting you to share you visionary ideas at http://www.greatershepparton.com.au/share-your-vision
