CCA and Kaamos are launching Estonia's largest art scholarship

The Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art together with Kaamos Group have founded the Kaamos Scholarship, worth 25,000€. It is currently the largest scholarship in the Estonian art field and it is intended to recognise and empower women artists. The first scholarship will be awarded in November 2025.

The Kaamos Scholarship is a private art scholarship, established by Kaamos Group in partnership with the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art. Its goal is to boost the careers of Estonian women artists and foster new opportunities in the local art field. The Kaamos Scholarship is awarded to an Estonian woman artist at a high point in her creative career, ensuring that the momentum can continue and evolve. The aim is to allow the recipient to focus on her art. Kaamos has previously supported women artists in particular and wishes to continue to do so.

The scholarship is valued at 25,000 €. One scholarship is awarded annually. The recipient selected by a jury of experts from the field.

“The aim of this initiative by Kaamos is to allow talented artists to focus on their art without having to give up their calling purely due to financial constraints,” comment Kaido Jõeleht and Jürgen Mikk Jõeleht, the owners of Kaamos. “We know well that when artists receive support earlier in their career, they have more chance to succeed in the international arena and hopefully bring recognition to our small country as well. The Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art has done great work in the art field and will help to find the artists with the brightest potential. We have chosen to support women artists specifically to help with creating balance in the historically male dominated art world.”

The CCA is the oldest centre of art expertise in Estonia, creating possibilities for Estonian artists and within the Estonian art field since 1992. The CCA is also the commissioner of the Estonian pavilion at the Venice Biennale. In the 2000s, the CCA gave out the Hansapank Art Award, also privately funded, which was among the most notable art awards at the time. The CCA’s head of communications Kaarin Kivirähk says: “It is a pleasure to bring such a sizeable scholarship to the art field, especially in collaboration with private sponsors and through that diversify art funding in Estonia. We very much hope that the scholarship brings excitement to the field and encourages other private companies to support contemporary art as well.”

Submissions
Candidates can be nominated by professionals working in the Estonian art field. To nominate a candidate, two recommendations are needed from acknowledged art professionals or institutions.

Candidate submissions must include a portfolio (or website) and a minimum of two recommendation letters. Candidates can be nominated until 29 October 2025 via e-mail: post@cca.ee.

The recipient is chosen by a jury of experts who have wide-ranging knowledge of Estonian art and artists. The jury includes Eha Komissarov, curator at Kumu; Peeter Talvistu, director of the Tartu Art House and chair of the Tartu Artists’ Union; artist and artist salary recipient Darja Popolitova; one representative from the CCA; two representatives from Kaamos Group. The jury rotates partially every two years.

The artist receiving the scholarship agrees to cooperate with the media team and to engage in publicity related to the scholarship. The artist may choose to exhibit their artworks in Kaamos Group-owned spaces.

Founded in 2002, the Kaamos Group is an Estonian-owned investment firm that brings together all Kaamos companies. Its biggest investments have been in property development, construction and the energy sector.