euward

European award painting and graphic art for artists with mental disability

The euward was instigated in 2000 by the Augustinum Stiftung in Munich to offer mentally handicapped artists a professional forum for their current creative work.

From entries submitted from across Europe, a jury of renowned specialists chooses the best works and shows them at an exhibition in the "Haus der Kunst" gallery in Munich, where the three prizewinners are announced during the exhibition opening ceremony. The prizewinners are rewarded with cash prizes and a printed catalogue, totalling #19,000 in value. The next award presentation will take place in November 2010 in Munich.

As an art award with an international outlook, the euward's aim is to acknowledge the artistic quality of the work of these largely unknown outsiders. The distinction promotes outstanding artists. Another goal is to reveal an, in every respect, extraordinary creative talent in its significance for contemporary culture, and make it accessible to the public at large.

In the tradition of "Art Brut", as it was founded by Jean Dubuffet and underwent international development into so-called "Outsider Art", the production of mentally handicapped artists has increasingly developed into an independent artistic scene in recent years. Supervised studios, which have arisen all over Europe since the 1970s, offer artists the opportunity to develop the potential of their artistic language in continuity. They allow mentally handicapped to fulfil themselves as freelance artists commensurate with their talents. Their original artistic creations are a vital impulse in contemporary art, which is increasingly gaining prestige but has been neglected in public perception until now.

Since its inception, the euward has been the responsibility of a seven-strong committee of trustees who hold active, responsible positions in cultural life. The jury includes authorities and experts from various European countries. The curator of the art award and the exhibition is Klaus Mecherlein M.A. of the Heilpädagogisches Centrum Augustinum, Munich.


Links

Augustinum Stiftung
Haus der Kunst
Heilpädagogisches Centrum Augustinum