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Adam Art Gallery belongs to the Victoria University of Wellington and is the place where the university’s art collection is housed and managed. Though the proposal was originally prepared and put forth in 1997 by Jenny Harper and Tina Barton, the building was opened to the public in 1999.
Designed by architect Ian Athfield, Adam Art Gallery has a unique design- tall and narrow- much of which is credited to its hillside location; it is a contemporary, purpose-built gallery to be more specific. The gallery enjoys a central location, as it sits between University’s other three buildings- the Old Kirk Building, the Hunter Building and the Student Union Building, which makes it easily accessible. Interestingly around the mid 1960s, stairs were started so that it can be linked to various other building in the vicinity, but the plan was dropped because of the safety reasons.
Since 1947 the Victoria University Collections has grown manifolds over the years and today it is a nationally significant collection of both modern and contemporary art, which brings to light the evolution of arts in New Zealand. Largely a display collection, VUW Art Collection consists of paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper; these works can be easily accessed in the public spaces of all five university campuses. The Key artists include names like Mark Adams, Julian Dashper, Don Driver, John Weeks, Ralph Hotere, John Reynolds, Gordon Walters, Evelyn Page, Fiona Pardington and many others.