Vision & Mission
The Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi is the purpose-built gallery of Victoria University of Wellington. It initiates, produces and presents a highly-regarded programme of exhibitions, events and publications; manages and develops the Victoria University of Wellington Art Collection, and provides a vital platform for critical thinking across media, disciplines, cultures and contexts. Using art and its presentation as a tool of analysis, it contributes to the production of new knowledge and creates opportunities for learning, for the benefit of staff, students and the wider community.
To develop an understanding and appreciation of art’s complex role in reflecting and affecting how people relate critically and creatively to a changing world.
To contribute to Victoria University of Wellington’s reputation as a leader in the production of knowledge, using art and its presentation as a vehicle of analysis.
To present a changing programme of well-researched, visually stimulating and thoughtful exhibitions that are supported by appropriate events and publications, which make a distinctive contribution to their fields and win the respect and attention of local, national and international audiences.
To take a national leadership role in developing educational activities that deepen an understanding of how galleries work to produce meaning and advance knowledge.
To provide a platform for interdisciplinary thinking and research where ideas and practices can be explored and tested.
To professionally manage and develop the Victoria University of Wellington Art Collection as a representative collection of recent New Zealand art that enhances and enlivens the physical environment of the university and supports its educational objectives by encouraging direct and daily contact with works of art.
To document the work of the gallery as an accessible resource for current and future scholars.
In pursuit of its mission the Adam Art Gallery is committed to the principles of artistic and academic freedom and acknowledges the special relationship that exists between the university and mana whenua.