The Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Scholarship supports outstanding visual artists who work exclusively or predominantly as freelancers. Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes runs the programme with the Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Foundation and financial support from the Marianne Ingenwerth Foundation.
Recipients may pursue their work without restrictions on location or project and later join a group exhibition at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf with a catalogue. The programme is between cycles: nomination materials for the 2026/27 selection will be sent to eligible nominators at the end of September 2026.
Benefits & funding
- €1,200 per month for an initial year, extendable for one additional year.
- A group exhibition at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf and a catalogue at the end of the funding period.
- Admission to the Studienstiftung and access to its educational events.
- Finalists receive a travel contribution and daily allowance for selection, but cover other selection costs such as transport and insurance.
Eligibility
- Candidates must be nominated; direct applications are not accepted.
- Eligible nominators are state-accredited art colleges in Germany, former scholarship recipients, and invited figures in fine art and art education.
- Candidates must be visual artists working exclusively or predominantly as freelancers; artists working only in applied arts or music cannot be nominated.
- Applicants qualify through German citizenship or a German higher-education entrance qualification, citizenship of an EU or EU-candidate country, or, subject to individual review, permanent residence as a non-EU national.
- Applicants must have completed most of their studies in Germany, live primarily in Germany, complete all studies before the scholarship starts, and hold a terminal degree obtained within the previous five years; an art degree is not required.
- The programme states that candidates should generally be no older than 35 when nominated, with case-by-case exceptions such as illness or parental leave.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Residence required
Germany
Education required
Bachelor · Master · PhD
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Application process
- 1Secure a nomination from an eligible art college, former recipient, or invited arts professional.
- 2Complete the nomination materials supplied through the nominator; materials for the 2026/27 process are due to be sent at the end of September 2026.
- 3The jury reviews the submitted documents and selects a shortlist.
- 4Finalists present and discuss their work during a jury round, followed by a public Open House presentation.
Program timeline
The previous cycle’s jury selected 17 finalists from about 80 nominations.
January 2025
The previous cycle’s finalists presented work at the Open House in Berlin.
28–29 June 2025
Five recipients from the previous cycle were officially announced.
3 July 2025
End of September 2026
Nomination materials for the 2026/27 selection are sent to eligible nominators.