Art Prizes

The Hans Molfenter Prize established by the state capital of Stuttgart is endowed with 16,000 euros and was first awarded in 1983. The prize is financed by the estate assets of the Stuttgart painter Hans Molfenter (1884–1979), which were invested in a fund. The prize, initially conferred biennially, has since 1995 been awarded triennially to artists who have a connection to southwestern Germany and have been recognized for outstanding artistic work.

The award ceremony is accompanied by an exhibition organized by the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart.

The "Kubus. Sparda Art Prize" was established jointly by the Sparda Bank Baden-Württemberg and the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart in 2013 and is endowed with 20,000 euros. The prize is awarded every two years.

The "Kubus. Sparda Art Prize" is distinguished by two special features. First, it honors an outstanding artistic achievement, regardless of the artist’s age. The prize is thus neither an encouragement award for younger artists nor one granted in recognition of an artist’s life achievement. As such, it is meant to preserve an open view of the broad range of artistic production in Baden-Württemberg. The only prerequisite for participation is that artists have a biographical link to the state—whether it be by birth, education, or residence. Second, prior to the prize ceremony, the nominated artists present selected works together in an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart. The show allows the public to become acquainted with the nominiees artistic work in an unbiased way before the jury decides the winner at the end of the exhibition period.

Since 2015 the Sparda Bank has also offered a public-choice award in addition to the jury prize.