Ennepe-Ruhr Art Prize 2025 is open for artworks submissions

The internationally recognized Ennepe-Ruhr Art Prize is accepting applications from visual artists for its eighth edition. This year’s theme, “Light and Shadow,” welcomes submissions in the form of drawings, photographs, paintings, sculptures, installations, or video projections. Applicants must be over 21 years old and have a personal connection to the Ennepe-Ruhr district. An international jury, chaired by Christoph Kohl, Director of the Märkisches Museum Witten, will select works by up to 20 artists. These selected pieces will be exhibited at the Hattingen City Museum in December 2025 and January 2026, and will also be featured in an accompanying catalogue. The jury will award the art prize as three equal prizes, each worth €1,500, to be presented during the opening on December 5th at the Hattingen City Museum.

The Ennepe‑Ruhr-Kreis district was officially established in 1929, as part of North Rhine‑Westphalia. Its mission is to coordinate cultural, social, and economic initiatives across its nine municipalities. The Ennepe‑Ruhr Art Prize has been awarded biennially by the Ennepe‑Ruhr district since 2011, aiming to support and highlight regional visual artists.  Previous themes have included "Solidarity," "Water Equality," "Working Worlds and Nature," "Freedom," "Home/Location," "Between Proximity and Distance," and "Love Your World."