▁Art ▁Prize ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁( G erman : ▁Kunst preis ▁der ▁Deutschen ▁Dem okrat ischen ▁Republik ) ▁was ▁an ▁East ▁German ▁state ▁award ▁best owed ▁on ▁individuals ▁for ▁contributions ▁in ▁various ▁fields ▁of ▁art . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Art ▁Prize ▁was ▁ann ually ▁awarded ▁in ▁recognition ▁of ▁" out standing ▁cre ative ▁and ▁interpret ive ▁achiev ements " ▁in ▁visual ▁arts , ▁applied ▁arts , ▁cinema , ▁television , ▁radio ▁and ▁entertain ment . ▁It ▁could ▁be ▁con ferred ▁to ▁individual ▁recip ients ▁or ▁in ▁collect ive , ▁to ▁groups ▁of ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁six ▁people . ▁The ▁recip ients ▁were ▁awarded ▁a ▁silver - co ated ▁metal ▁medal , ▁ 2 0 ▁millimeter ▁in ▁diameter , ▁with ▁the ▁ins cription ▁Kunst preis . ▁Bes ide ▁it , ▁a ▁single ▁gran te e ▁would ▁also ▁be ▁entitled ▁to ▁a ▁sum ▁of ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁East ▁German ▁Mark s , ▁while ▁a ▁collect ive ▁would ▁get ▁a ▁sum ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁Art ▁Prize ▁was ▁the ▁country ' s ▁highest ▁honor ▁for ▁artists , ▁and ▁was ▁out rank ed ▁only ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Prize ▁of ▁East ▁Germany . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁awarded ▁by ▁Minister ▁of ▁Culture ▁Alexander ▁Ab usch ▁to ▁nin ete en ▁recip ients , ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁January ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁The ▁Ministry ' s ▁dec ree ▁declared ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁best owed ▁" in ▁recognition ▁of ▁out standing ▁and ▁unique ▁art istic