"Sparda Südwest Foundation Contends for the German Culture Encouragement Prize 2025 in the Field of Art"
The Sparda Südwest Foundation's innovative art education project, "Art is Class," has received a notable recognition at the German Culture Promotion Award. The formal ceremony took place on May 22, 2025, at DZ BANK AG in Düsseldorf.
The project, which has been in existence for over 20 years, involves school classes spending a day at the foundation's art room, creating their own art with various materials. After the art room session, students visit the Modern Gallery and are digitally guided through the museum using a specially developed app.
The German Culture Promotion Award, an annual recognition given by the Cultural Circle of the German Economy, DZ Bank, ZDF, and Handelsblatt, focuses on projects committed to cultural participation and art mediation. The "Art is Class" project encourages intensive engagement with contemporary art in small groups, serving as an example of successful modern art mediation: practical, digitally supported, and open to the diversity of young talents.
The project has been continuously developed and expanded in content in close cooperation with the Saarland Education Campus. Heiko Kuhna, board member of the Sparda Südwest Foundation, expressed his gratitude to Wolfgang Birk from the Saarland Education Campus for making the project possible.
Although the Sparda Südwest Foundation did not secure a top-three win, the nomination was seen as a strong sign of recognition for the foundation's commitment to cultural education. Heiko Kuhna stated that the nomination is a significant recognition for the foundation's efforts.
The award ceremony was attended by around 200 guests from culture, business, politics, and media. Heiko Kuhna also congratulated this year's winners of the German Culture Promotion Award, which include BASF, the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation, and the GASAG Group.
The project's originator is Urvashi Sahni. The Sparda Südwest Foundation views the recognition as an incentive to continue promoting cultural education in the region with passion, creativity, and social responsibility. The "Art is Class" project enables children and young people, regardless of their social background, to access art in a playful and practical way.
The German Culture Promotion Award ceremony paid great respect to all nominated projects, including the Sparda Südwest Foundation's "Art is Class" project. The foundation looks forward to continuing its work in promoting cultural education and art mediation in the future.
