5. Südwestdeutscher Kunstpreis | Deadline: March 31, 2026
The Südwestdeutscher Kunstpreis of the Stiftung Kreissparkasse Esslingen-Nürtingen is a biennial art prize that includes an exhibition and an award ceremony. It is aimed at professional artists based in Baden-Württemberg and is one of the highest-funded savings bank art prizes in Germany. For its 5th edition, artists are invited to submit works on the theme “Dinge des Lebens – Still Life Today.” From all digital submissions, an expert jury selects a final round of artists whose works will be presented in an exhibition at the Kreissparkasse Esslingen. Based on the original artworks, the jury awards the main prize and the support prize, while the audience award is determined by a public vote at the exhibition opening. The main prize is endowed with 10,000 euros, the support prize with 2,500 euros, and the audience award with 1,000 euros. All exhibiting artists additionally receive an exhibition fee of 150 euros. The exhibition runs from June 23 to August 7, 2026, and the award ceremony takes place as part of the opening on June 22, 2026.
Who can apply?
Artists with a professional artistic education or demonstrable several years of professional artistic practice
Students enrolled at state art academies or state-recognized independent art schools
Applicants who were born in or currently reside in Baden-Württemberg
The support prize is reserved for artists born in or after 1991
How can one apply?
Online registration via the application portal
Upload of a digital image of a single artwork
Eligible media: painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, mixed media
The work must consist of a single piece
Year of creation: 2020 or later
Maximum size: 3 m², maximum side length 175 cm including framing
Maximum object dimensions for sculptures: 50 × 50 × 50 cm
Maximum weight: 15 kg
One artwork per applicant