Trustee of the Adam Foundation Christopher Finlayson has paid tribute to the legacy of one of our most significant arts patrons, Denis Adam who passed away in October at the age of 94.
Denis Adam and his wife Verna established the Adam Foundation in 1976 firstly to house their burgeoning New Zealand art collection; it has gone on to support many areas of artistic activity from the visual arts, to music and literature.
As a German Jew the young Denis Adam was exiled and interned in the United Kingdom, and subsequently flew bombers for the RAF before making his home in New Zealand in 1946.
The Adam Chamber Music Festival in Nelson and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, are just two of the many music events supported by the Adam Foundation; it’s also been a sponsor with the New Zealand Festival of the Arts since its inception in 1986.
The foundation generously contributed to the Adam Concert Room at Victoria University of Wellington and the Adam Auditorium at City Gallery Wellington, and has committed to helping fund the planned redevelopment of Wellington Town Hall into a national centre of music excellence in Civic Square.
Denis Adam has received a number of awards including being made a Companion and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1993. Denis and Verna Adam were given the inaugural award for Patronage to the Arts in 2006 by the Arts Foundation.
A memorial service for Denis Adam will be held on Tuesday 27 November at 7pm at the Adam Concert room at Victoria University School of Music
