Inaugural Recipients - Denis and Verna Adam

Denis and Verna started to collect objets d'art in the 1960s. In 1975 they decided to create the Adam Foundation to consolidate the ownership of this growing collection. Gradually the Adam Foundation activities extended to support arts in general and have tended to focus on emerging artists when it comes to philanthropy. Following in the spirit of Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote to Walt Whitman, saying, "I greet you at the beginning of a great career," Denis and Verna have greeted many artists at the start of their careers.

Their support includes the Adam Art Gallery and the Adam Concert Room at Victoria University of Wellington, the Adam Foundation Prize forCreative Writing, the Adam Portraiture Award and Exhibition, the Adam Chamber Music Festival, the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, and the Adam International Cello Competition. The Adams also fund Playmarket's Adam Playreading series at Downstage Theatre as well as providing funds foran extensive number of individuals and one-off events.

Denis & Verna Adam - Donation selections:

Dave Armstrong & Oscar Kightley (jointly) - Playwrights

John Chen - Pianist 

John Drawbridge (posthumously) - Visual Artist

Tom Scott - Cartoonist & political journalist

 

Oscar Kightly, Tom Scott, Dave Armstrong, Denis Adam, Verna Adam and Tanya Ashken at the 2006 Award for Patronage at Government House, Auckland.  Photo: Scott Venning