The Hustinx Foundation awards various prizes in Maastricht in the fields of art and science. The established prizes are periodically evaluated and, if necessary, adjusted to reflect current events. This has sometimes led to the prize money being used for new prizes and projects, or new incentives being awarded.
Art can't always survive in the free market. The perspectives of art and life don't always coincide. For those just starting out in the art world, it's often especially challenging to realize a creative idea. Funding to develop, differentiate themselves, and gain experience is still lacking. But the urge to showcase the strengths of existing talent and secure funding for it is there. The Hustinx Foundation wanted to encourage these newcomers by providing three grants of €2,500 annually for a project, idea, or event. A completed degree in an arts discipline wasn't required: anyone with an idea could participate. The incentive was open to artists in all arts disciplines. Emerging artists (with a connection to Maastricht) were invited to submit a brief proposal annually between April and October, presented by the artist themselves or by someone or something else. For example, a YouTube video of no more than five minutes, a model, a live pitch, or something else was used to present a proposal, idea, or life-long project, all aimed at launching an artistic career supported by the foundation. The artist had to be under 30.
The Hustinx residency aimed to establish a tangible collaboration between art institutions in Maastricht and to boost Maastricht's cultural life. The goal was to collaborate with an artist who had already created an impressive oeuvre and established an international career. The artist served as the cultural driving force behind the project, offering something unique to Maastricht.
The goal of the residency was primarily to develop a process between various partners in Maastricht, rather than providing a prize or subsidizing a production. This process-based approach was the novel element, essential for the connection that can develop between the various parties, for the enjoyment of the collaboration, and for the enjoyment of the content. The goal was for the Hustinx residency to develop a collaborative process that would otherwise never have occurred.
Maastricht is a city that attracts artists: beautiful, monumental, and vibrant with a vibrant history, nestled in a fantastic landscape. Situated at a crossroads of cultures, Maastricht is a rich breeding ground with a unique identity where many easily find inspiration. This climate inspired the board to establish the Edmond Hustinx Prize for the visual arts, endowed with €12,500/25,000 for the period 1987–2001, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Hustinx Foundation. With this prize, the board wanted to encourage artists with a connection to Maastricht who are under the age of 35.
This prize can be seen as the forerunner of the Edmond Hustinx Prize for visual arts and has been awarded a total of eight times at the Jan van Eyck Academy to sculptors, painters and a graphic artist.