Adam Art Gallery facts for kids
| Te Pātaka Toi | |
Adam Art Gallery logo
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| Established | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Location | Victoria University of Wellington, Gate 3, Kelburn Parade, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Type | Art gallery |
| Collections | Victoria University Art Collection |
| Owner | Victoria University of Wellington |
The Adam Art Gallery (in Māori: Te Pātaka Toi) is a special art gallery. It was built just for showing art. You can find it at the Kelburn Campus of Victoria University of Wellington in Wellington, New Zealand.
The Gallery's Story
The idea for the gallery started on July 15, 1997. Two people, Jenny Harper and Tina Barton, began the work to create it.
The gallery building officially opened on September 21, 1999. Sir Michael Hardie Boys, who was the Governor-General of New Zealand, opened it.
The gallery is named after Denis and Verna Adam. They gave a very generous donation of one million New Zealand dollars in 1998. The Victoria University of Wellington Foundation also helped fund the gallery.
The famous architect Ian Athfield designed the building. It was built between three other university buildings. These are the Old Kirk Building, the Hunter Building, and the Student Union Building.
The gallery was built on top of old stairs called the "Culliford stair." These stairs were built in the 1960s to connect different buildings. However, they had to be closed because they were not safe.
The Adam Art Gallery has many different spaces inside. These spaces are used for art shows, performances, and talks.
What You Can See: Exhibitions
The Adam Art Gallery shows many interesting art exhibitions. These shows feature art from New Zealand and around the world.
Some past exhibitions have shown art by famous artists. These include Joseph Kosuth from the USA and Fernanda Gomes from Brazil. Other artists like Zhang Huan from China and Gunther Uecker from Germany have also had shows.
New Zealand artists like Brett Graham, Mark Adams, and Gavin Hipkins have also shown their work. You might also see art by Vivian Lynn, Pauline Rhodes, and Billy Apple.
The gallery also puts on special group shows. For example, "Face to Face: Contemporary Art From Taiwan" showed art from Taiwan. "Play: Recent Video from Australia and New Zealand" featured video art.
Another show was "Concrete Horizons: Contemporary Art from China." "Breaking Ice: Revisioning Antarctica" explored art about Antarctica.
The best part is that it costs nothing to visit the Adam Art Gallery. Admission is completely free for everyone!
Awards for the Building
The Adam Art Gallery building has won several awards for its design. The architectural firm, Athfield Architects, designed it.
In 1999, they won two awards from the NZIA Resene. These were for Community & Cultural Architecture and for Colour Architecture.
In 2000, the building received a regional award. This was the NZIA Resene Central Regional Architecture Award.
Most recently, in 2025, the gallery won the Enduring Architecture Award. This award was given at the Wellington Architecture Awards. It means the building's design has lasted well over time.
