Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt
Frankfurt has become a City of Art. The Städelschule, the Portikus, the MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST [Museum of Modern Art], the SCHIRN and the Kunstverein have successfully established contemporary art in the city. New galleries have introduced new art and boosted the existing art scene. The Department of Art funds and otherwise supports non-municipal institutions such as the Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste - Städelschule [Academy of Fine Arts] and the Frankfurter Kunstverein [Contemporary Arts Centre] as well as numerous other institutions and individual artists’ projects.
Around 1,000 artists live and work in Frankfurt am Main. To register as an artist, applicants must hold a degree in Fine Arts and have an appropriate exhibition record. Artists living in Frankfurt may apply for project grants from the Department of Art.
However, without a suitable workspace, artists cannot produce their best work. Therefore, the Department of Art has made available 48 subsidised artists’ studios and supports independent artists’ studio complexes such as the Atelierfrankfurt e.V. and basis e.V. Every two years, the Department of Art puts on the "Frankfurter Ateliertage", a weekend of visiting artists’ studios and finding out about the local art scene.
Numerous initiatives, independent exhibition spaces and artist-run spaces have emerged since the 90s, founded largely by graduates from the Städelschule and the HfG Offenbach (School of Design) or by young art historians and which receive funding.
The Department of Art is also in charge of Art in Public Places. Duties here include the maintenance and PR regarding existing works of art, new planning and temporary projects.
The Municipal Art Collection, the city’s oldest Artothek (art lending institution), grows annually by new acquisitions from Frankfurt artists who receive financial support in this way. The collection contains more than 5,000 works from all disciplines and genres.