“Promotion Prize of the Province of Styria for Contemporary Fine Art” / Neue Galerie Graz

A prize for contemporary art was first created in Styria in 1959: the so-called “Joanneum Art Prize” was awarded up until 1967 to the major representatives of Styrian modernism: Hans Bischoffshausen, Rudolf Pointner, Gottfried Fabian, Franz Rogler, Mario Decleva, Richard Winkler, Wolfgang Hollegha und Norbert Nestler.

In 1968 this award was re-named the “Art Prize of the Province of Styria” and from 1983, the “Promotion Prize for Contemporary Fine Arts” with an age limit of 40 years was awarded to artists of a younger generation.

In 1999 the age limit was lifted. Since then, all artists who were born in Styria or have their main residence here can participate. A competition is held in which an art expert with international experience will first curate an exhibition of all the submitted works. In a further competition stage, prizes and scholarships are awarded from the positions represented in the exhibition.