ida gerhardi award

Since its founding in 1841, the Sparkasse an Volme und Ruhr has distinguished itself not only as a local service provider, but also as a supporter of the art and culture scene in the local region in its sponsoring communities. Since 1990, it has sponsored the Ida Gerhardi Prize for Young Artists. From 2025, the Lüdenscheid municipal utilities will support this renowned prize as the main sponsor, thereby documenting in a special way its commitment to promoting art and culture in Lüdenscheid.

The prize is named after the artist Ida Gerhardi (1862–1927). She was a pioneer of modern painting in the Westphalian region and an important mediator between French and German art. In 1891 she went to Paris to study at one of the private art schools there. She lived and worked in the French metropolis for more than twenty years.

In her psychologically finely drawn portraits, she translated her impressions directly into color. A serious illness forced her to move her home to Lüdenscheid to live with her brother's family. She died there in 1927.

For the prize, the jury selects up to ten artists from the submitted documents, who will present their work in an exhibition. Based on the exhibited works, the jury decides on the award of the prize, which is presented at the opening of the exhibition.