Bundesverband Bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler e.V.

What Bundesverband Bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler e.V. does

Bundesverband Bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler e.V. (BBK Bundesverband) is the federal registered association (eingetragener Verein) for professional visual artists in Germany, founded in 1971 and entered into the Munich association register on November 10, 1972. Headquartered in Berlin with 13 staff, BBK serves as the umbrella organization for 16 state-level member associations (Landesverbände) covering all 16 German federal states, providing collective advocacy on cultural policy, professional standards, social security, and economic conditions for its members. The association is governed by a Bundesdelegiertenversammlung and Bundesvorstand, currently led by Bundesvorsitzende Dagmar Schmidt and Bundesvorsitzender Werner Schaub, and holds formal seats in federal cultural policy bodies including Kulturrat, Kunstrat, IGBK, and VG Bild-Kunst committees.

BBK's core offerings center on professional information products and programs rather than a unified software platform. Key products include the kultur politik quarterly membership bulletin, the ProKunsT6 digital handbook covering taxes, contracts, social security, copyright, and digitization, periodic economic and social situation studies of visual artists (2020 and 2025 editions), the Leitfaden Honorare fee guidelines, the Anlass: Nachlass estate compendium, and the Bewegung Kunst cultural education guide. The organization runs flagship programs including Tag der Druckkunst (an annual print art event with ~400 events in 2026), the Gabriele Münter Preis for female visual artists, the ProTalks online talk series, and the federal Kultur macht stark cultural education initiative coordinated with 27 program partners. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight and DSGVO-compliant: a content-driven website with self-hosted Matomo analytics for first-party usage measurement, Brevo (Sendinblue) for newsletter distribution, and Google Maps embedded on selected pages, with no proprietary platform or app.

BBK operates as a non-profit professional association funded through three principal streams: recurring membership dues from individual artists and 16 regional associations; modest publication sales (typically €2.50–€20 per item, with member discounts); and government grants and project funding, most notably from the Bundesregierung via the Staatsministerin für Kultur und Medien, including the NEUSTART program (2020-2023) and ongoing Kultur macht stark funding. Distribution is conducted directly through the website, a publication order form with bank-transfer payment to Sparkasse KölnBonn, monthly newsletter, and indirectly through the 16 regional member associations that serve as state-level channels. Strategic partnerships with VG Bild-Kunst/Stiftung Sozialwerk, Deutsche Künstlerhilfe, Stiftung Kunstfonds, IGBK, and the Gerstaecker Foundation extend BBK's emergency aid, research, and funding intermediation capacity.

Name

Bundesverband Bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler e.V.

Legal name

Bundesverband Bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler e.V.

Website

https://bbk-bundesverband.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bundesverband Bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler e.V. (BBK) is the federal registered association representing professional visual artists in Germany, federating 16 state-level member associations and providing advocacy, publications, professional guidance, cultural education programs, and social security support to its members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: The association generates revenue through membership fees from individual artists and regional BBK associations across 16 state-level organizations in Germany.
2. Publication sales: Sale of publications including kultur politik magazine, ProKunsT6 handbook, studies on economic/social situation, and other professional guides for visual artists. Prices range from €2.50 to €20 depending on publication and membership status.
3. Government grants and cultural funding: The association receives support through cultural funding programs, including initiative funding from the German federal government for projects like 'Kultur macht stark' and the NEUSTART program (2020-2023) funded by Bundesregierung/Staatsministerin für Kultur und Medien.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BBK Bundesverband is a registered nonprofit professional association (eingetragener Verein) representing visual artists across Germany. It operates as the federal umbrella for 16 regional state-level artist associations, delivering member services, professional guidance on social security, taxes and copyright, publications, cultural policy advocacy, and programs such as cultural education funding, symposia, awards, and the annual Tag der Druckkunst print art event.

Product overview

The BBK Bundesverband operates as a professional association for visual artists in Germany, offering a portfolio of publications, events, awards, and advocacy services rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include the kultur politik membership bulletin, the ProKunsT6 digital handbook covering taxes, contracts, and legal matters, periodic economic/social studies on artists' situations, the Tag der Druckkunst annual print art event, the Gabriele Münter Prize for female artists, ProTalks webinar series, the Gerstaecker funding program, and the Kultur macht stark cultural education program. These services support artists' professional, economic, and social interests through information resources, funding opportunities, networking events, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• kultur politik Quarterly membership bulletin of the BBK Bundesverband covering association news, professional information, and cultural policy updates for visual artists in Germany.
• ProKunsT6 Digital handbook for visual artists covering taxes, contracts, legal questions, social security, copyright, digitization, and art-in-architecture; available as interactive PDF.
• Studie zur wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Situation Bildender Künstler:innen Long-term study on the economic and social situation of visual artists in Germany, conducted periodically with results published and freely downloadable.
• Impulse und Wege von der Kunst zu leben Accompanying publication to the 2025 economic study on making a living from art, addressed to political decision-makers and cultural administrators.
• Bewegung Kunst Guide for aesthetic education projects providing planning and implementation guidance for cultural education projects involving children and youth, including checklists, sample contracts, and project examples.
• Leitfaden Honorare Guide on artist fees with FAQ collection explaining fee minimums, calculation methods, and principles for fair compensation negotiation for visual artists.
• Anlass: Nachlass Compendium on handling artist estates, covering initiatives, concepts, foundation law, copyright, inheritance tax, and practical guidance for preserving artistic legacies.
• Tag der Druckkunst Annual nationwide event on March 15 celebrating print art, featuring nearly 400 participating events showcasing traditional printmaking techniques to experimental positions.
• Gabriele Münter Preis Award honoring female visual artists, recognizing artistic achievement and supporting their professional development.
• ProTalks Online talk and webinar series covering topics such as parenthood and art, honoraria vs. exhibition fees, public art, social media, social security, taxes, artist legacies, internationalization, marketing, KSK, copyright, and e-invoicing.
• Gerstaecker Förderfonds Funding program providing €15,000 total to support at least six BBK association projects annually, administered jointly with the Gerstaecker Foundation.
• Kultur macht stark – Wir können Kunst Federal cultural education program under the Kultur macht stark initiative supporting cultural education projects, implemented by 27 program partners for children and youth.
• Symposien Annual symposium series addressing professional topics such as art in public space (Kunst am Bau), sustainability, and professional practice for visual artists.
• BBK Newsletter Monthly email newsletter informing members about BBK activities, political discussions, event participation, and profession-specific information, distributed via Brevo (Sendinblue).

Quantifiable outcome

• BBK economic studies show average artistic income for sculptors at €11,668/year, painters €12,253/year, demonstrating the precarious economic situation the association addresses
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and support.

• VG Bild-Kunst / Stiftung SozialwerkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Stiftung Sozialwerk of VG Bild-Kunst provides financial emergency support to visual artists facing hardship, disability, or old age. The foundation receives its primary funding from VG Bild-Kunst earnings and donations. BBK refers members to this support. Membership in VG Bild-Kunst is free for eligible artists.
• Deutsche KünstlerhilfecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Deutsche Künstlerhilfe is an honorary grant from the Federal President providing financial support to artists in social distress. It is administered by the Federal Presidential Office. Artists must be nominated by state culture ministries. BBK provides information and referrals to this program.
• Stiftung KunstfondsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBK collaborates with Stiftung Kunstfonds on studies regarding the economic and social situation of visual artists. Joint publications include 'Von der Kunst zu leben' (2025) and the English translation 'The Art of Making a Living' produced with IGBK.
• IGBK (Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBK participates in IGBK activities including cultural policy discussions, and collaborated on the English translation of the economic study 'The Art of Making a Living' with Stiftung Kunstfonds.
• Bundesregierung / Staatsministerin für Kultur und MediencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe German federal government provides funding for BBK projects including 'Kultur macht stark' cultural education program (with 27 program partners) and the NEUSTART program (2020-2023) supporting visual artists during the pandemic.
• Gerstaecker FörderfondsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Gerstaecker Foundation provides a funding fund of €15,000 to support at least six BBK association projects annually. Applications are accepted until September 30 each year.
• Joint Artist Associations Statement PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBK collaborates with other German artist associations including Deutscher Künstlerbund, IKG – Internationales Künstlergremium, IGBK, and GEDOK on joint statements regarding artistic freedom and cultural promotion in Germany.
• Brevo (Sendinblue GmbH)supportTechnology or IntegrationNewsletter distribution service provider headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Used for sending monthly BBK newsletters with tracking and analysis capabilities.
• MatomosupportTechnology or IntegrationOpen-source web analytics platform used for analyzing BBK website usage. Hosted locally on BBK's own server in Germany, ensuring data privacy compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IGBK (Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste): International society of visual arts organizations, closely tied to BBK as a strategic partner. Both focus on visual arts advocacy and cultural policy at the federal/international level, with overlapping membership and joint publications.
• IKG – Internationales Künstlergremium: International artists' gremium in Germany, collaborating with BBK on joint cultural policy statements. Directly comparable in mission and German visual arts advocacy scope.
• Deutscher Künstlerbund: German national association for visual artists, comparable in mission to BBK as a federal-level advocacy organization for professional artists. Both organizations collaborate on joint statements and operate in the same cultural policy domain.
• GEDOK: German artist association with focus on female artists, comparable peer organization that collaborates with BBK on joint cultural policy statements. Operates in the same German visual arts advocacy space.

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Kulturrat: German cultural council representing the broader cultural sector, of which BBK is a member. Covers a broader scope than BBK but operates in the same cultural policy advocacy space at federal level.

Regional players

• Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung: German federal association for cultural education of children and youth, comparable to BBK's 'Kultur macht stark' program. Comparable in delivering cultural education programs supported by federal funding.
• International Association of Art (IAA/AIAP): International association of artists affiliated with UNESCO, comparable peer organization operating at the global level for visual artists' professional interests. Similar mission structure but international scope.

Emerging players

• VG Bild-Kunst: German collecting society for visual arts copyright and royalty management, operating as a strategic partner of BBK. Comparable in serving visual artists but with a different core function (rights management vs. advocacy).
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Kunstvereine: German association of art societies (Kunstvereine) promoting contemporary visual arts. Adjacent peer organization serving the visual arts ecosystem with overlapping constituencies and policy interests.
• Stiftung Kunstfonds: German art foundation supporting visual artists through grants and programs, collaborating with BBK on the 'The Art of Making a Living' economic study. Comparable in serving visual artists' economic interests.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/bbk.bundesverband
• Facebookfacebook.com/BBK.Bundesverband
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bbk-bundesverband

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bundesverband Bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler e.V.