Organizer Information
The Walter Haymann Foundation is a non-profit estate foundation registered in the Zurich commercial register, established in 2010 by Zurich painter Walter Haymann. As an artist's foundation, its primary purpose is to preserve, maintain, and promote awareness of Haymann's own artistic work; its secondary purpose is to support and financially promote Swiss painting and sculpture, through prizes, studio grants, work contributions, the acquisition of works, and contributions to exhibitions by Swiss artists at home and abroad. The Foundation is governed by a three-member board and regularly stages exhibitions at its foundation house in Zurich, pairing Haymann's own work in dialogue with contemporary artistic positions. The Studio Grant is hosted in the Foundation's own building at Haldeneggsteig 7, Zurich, which was renovated in 2025; the 2025 recipient, Alena Stadler, has been working in the studio since the start of that scholarship year.
Title & Description
Walter Haymann Studio Grant 2026
The Walter Haymann Studio Grant offers an artist the opportunity to work free of charge for 12 months in the studio of the Walter Haymann Foundation in Zurich. It is aimed at professional artists at the beginning of their career, intended to support them on their path and foster their further development. The jury awards the grant based on submitted applications.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Residency
- Studio
Eligibility
- Open to artists within ten years of completing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Fine Arts; for the 2026 grant, degrees from 2016 onward qualify
- Eligible applicants must have had their center of life in Switzerland for at least five years
- Artists without a university degree may also apply, provided they can demonstrate their professional activity through an exhibition history and are within the first ten years of their artistic career
- Particular consideration will be given to artists not yet represented by a commercial gallery
- Applicants may apply for either the Walter Haymann Prize or the Studio Grant in the same year, but not both
- Individuals who have already received a Walter Haymann Foundation award are not eligible to apply again
Program Benefits & Awards
- Free studio space for 12 months (approximately 24 m², ground floor, workspace only — not residential)
- Studio equipped with a sink (including plaster separator), a mobile stove, and shared-use WC access
- Natural light from two southwest-facing windows, overlooking a small garden
- A final exhibition in the studio, staged with support from the Foundation, during the last two weeks of the grant period
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 13 September 2026
- Open Studio (current studio holder, ahead of the deadline): 3 September 2026, 6–9 pm
- Notification of results: expected end of October 2026
- Grant period: 1 February 2027 – 31 January 2028
- Final exhibition: last two weeks of the grant period (January 2028)
Location
Zurich, Switzerland
Additional Details
- The studio is located within a residential building, so quiet hours must be respected
- Grant holder obligations: at least one public Open Studio event, a final exhibition in the studio with the Foundation's support, and submission of a final written report at the end of the grant
- The 2026 jury consists of Dominique Lämmli (artist and lecturer), Johanna Vieli (curator), and Ulrich Meinherz (Director, Kesselhaus Josephsohn)
- By submitting, applicants confirm that all submitted work is their own
- The jury's decision is final, non-appealable, and does not require justification
- If awarded, recipients agree to attend the public award ceremony on 26 November 2026, from 6:00 pm, in Zurich, and to list the award in their artistic biography/CV
- By applying, participants agree to the Foundation's data protection policy; if awarded, they must provide a portrait photo and three images of their work, which may be published on the Foundation's website and social media channels in connection with the award