- committee joke
Joseph Beuys claimed that everyone is an artist.
But—
Kulturstiftung der Länder (Federal Cultural Foundation of the German States)
This institution awards working grants, residencies, and travel stipends to artists each year.
For example:
in 2025, 53 artists received a grant from the Kulturstiftung der Länder (including working grants and residencies).
This number represents only one foundation in one year and does not reflect the entire funding system.
Other large funding systems
Stiftung Kunstfonds (German Art Fund)
Its major funding programs regularly receive thousands of applications
(for example, around 1,171 applications in 2025),
but ultimately only a small portion of applicants are selected as grant recipients
(usually a few hundred at most).
This shows that:
number of applicants ≫ number of funded artists
and that artists who receive funding are often limited to tens to a few hundred per year.
Other forms of funding and institutional support
(these do not provide a single “headcount,” but indicate the scale of the system)
The German art funding system is highly complex and includes:
But—
Kulturstiftung der Länder (Federal Cultural Foundation of the German States)
This institution awards working grants, residencies, and travel stipends to artists each year.
For example:
in 2025, 53 artists received a grant from the Kulturstiftung der Länder (including working grants and residencies).
This number represents only one foundation in one year and does not reflect the entire funding system.
Other large funding systems
Stiftung Kunstfonds (German Art Fund)
Its major funding programs regularly receive thousands of applications
(for example, around 1,171 applications in 2025),
but ultimately only a small portion of applicants are selected as grant recipients
(usually a few hundred at most).
This shows that:
number of applicants ≫ number of funded artists
and that artists who receive funding are often limited to tens to a few hundred per year.
Other forms of funding and institutional support
(these do not provide a single “headcount,” but indicate the scale of the system)
The German art funding system is highly complex and includes:
-
Various funding programs run by BKM (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media), including stipends, federal prizes, and project funding.
-
Institutional residency and international exchange programs
(such as DAAD Artists-in-Berlin, which offers around 20 places per year, but has hosted hundreds of artists historically).
-
Regional and private institutions
(for example, Akademie Schloss Solitude, which has supported over 1,400 artists since 1990).
-
Artist social support organizations
(such as Paul Klinger Künstlersozialwerk, with approximately 1,200 members, many of whom are professional artists).