From February 27 until March 6, 2005 the Ernst Museum exhibits works of young artists who have been awarded the Gyula Derkovits Art Scholarship for 2005. This marks the 50th year that the scholarship is being granted to young painters, sculptors and artists.
The Hungarian government founded the scholarship named after the painter Gyula Derkovits (1894-1934) back in 1955, mainly with the aim to support artists in need of money and work. The very first announcement for competition, signed by Minister of Culture József Darvas, was published August 31, 1955. Conditions of winning the scholarship have practically been unchanged ever since: any artist under 35 may apply who, after graduation from the University of Fine Arts (formerly: School of Fine Arts)has already pursued some sort of independent art activity. The scholarship provides a monthly stipend for one year and may be prolonged for two more years, if the curators do not decide otherwise. The goal is to provide young creative artists support in the first phase of their career and to promote the development and progression of those who have recently left school but are still free-lancers without a safe existence and steady income.
In the first 30 years, Derkovits scholars had to meet very strict (and rather strange)conditions. The examiners of applications attached great importance to the artists’ political attitude and to the social relevance of their artistic goals. Up until 1966 scholars had to attend certain lectures at the University of Marxism and Leninism, and were required to actually work for 12 months in a Socialist community, preferably in factories. During the term of scholarship they were not allowed to sell their works or to accept commissions for works of art meant for public places.
Between 1955 and 1982 the stipend was a monthly HUF 3000. This was quite a sum in the 1950s but its buying value shrank to almost nothing by the late 1970s. Right now the stipend is HUF 70.000 per month.
On the 3rd of March, Wednesday at 6 p.m. you may meet this year’s Derkovits scholars in the Szinyei Club of Artists and Art Collectors. Moderators: Attila Csáji and Tibor Zielinski.
A select list of artists who had been Derkovits scholars in the past 50 years:
Tibor Csernus (1955), Tamás Konok and Béla Kondor(1957), Lajos Sváby (1963), Károly Klimó (1965), Árpád Szabados (1970), Zoltán Tölg-Molnár (1971), Ferenc Banga (1974), Dezső Váli (1977), El Kazovszkij (1980), Imre Bukta (1981), Erzsébet Vojnich (1982), János Szirtes (1984), Gábor Roskó (1985), Zoltán Ádám (1986), András Bernát (1987),Balázs Kicsiny (1988), Éva Köves (1989), Tibor Várnagy (1999) and Ágnes Németh (1993).
Derkovits Scholars 2005
1st grade
Erika Baglyas
Gyula Baditz
Ádám Lendvai
Apolka Erős
Péter Ménasági
Horváth Kinga
Attila Galbovy- Barna Péli
Andrea Huszár
Tibor Iski Kocsis
Tamás Lőrincz
2nd grade
Emese Benczúr, artist
Péter Berentz, graphic artist
Ágost Koppány Erős, sculptor
Zsófia Farkas, sculptor
Dóra Juhász, painter
Zsolt Keserue, artist
Attila Kővári, painter
Bálint Miksa, painter
Zsolt Nyári, sculptor
Zsolt Vásárhelyi, artist
3rd grade
Eszter Csurka, sculptor
Attila Hetesi, painter
Amarilla Knyihár, painter
Norbert Kotormán, sculptor
József Lukács, sculptor
Ottó Nagy, artist
Márta Nyilas, painter
Tibor Krisztián Páll, painter
Réka Raffai, painter
Tünde Varga, painter
Zoltán Ötvös, painter
The newest Derkovits Scholars (2005):
Sándor Bartalus
Ágnes Előd
Barna Éltes
Tamás Kaszás
Gábor Király
Klára Orosz
Dóra Palatinus
Laura Somogyi
Ádám Szabó
Claudia Tamási
Csaba Uglár