Martin Traxel and C. Sylvia Weber at the Maecenas award ceremony in Vienna (Photo: picturesborn – Helga Nessler)

The “Initiativen Wirtschaft für Kunst” (Business for art initiatives), an independent business committee in Vienna, awarded the Austrian art sponsorship award “Maecenas” in cooperation with the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) in 2017, for the 29th time. The jury presented the award in the “Maecenatentum” category to Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth. The assessment was based on the ­criteria quality, innovation and creativity. The jury highlighted the strong presence of Austrian 20th and 21st ­century art in the Würth Collection, making it one of the most extensive collections of Austrian art outside Austria. In addition to examples from the early modernist period, the collection also houses numerous contemporary artists from Austria. The jury also highlighted Reinhold Würth’s commitment to the permanent presentation of modern art in Salzburg’s city center. The prize was presented by the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ORF) cultural editor ­Martin Traxel. C. Sylvia Weber, manager of the Art and Culture unit, accepted the award on ­Reinhold Würth’s behalf.