Shortly after the end of World War II, Arnulf Erich Stegmann made the decision to co-operate with colleagues who, just like him, created works of art with their mouth or with their feet. In 1957, a unique self-help organisation was established. That was the start of the more than 60 years success story of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists.
Its founding members were part of a generation that had been significantly marked by the First and Second World War. Often, both physical disability and artistic development met low acceptance. But neither physical obstacles nor other big challenges could keep them from spreading their conviction and their most profound desire all over the world: Everybody should be enabled to have access to art.
Today, this self-help organisation includes nearly 800 mouth or foot painting artists from all over the world. The ideals from back in the day are still applicable. The association fosters and supports existing and future mouth and foot painters and has had a neutral stance on religious, philosophical and political issues.
September 5th, 2019 will be the 35th anniversary of our great patron Arnulf Erich Stegmann’s death. By celebrating the International Mouth and Foot Painters’ Day, mouth and foot painters from all over the world would like to recognise Arnulf Erich Stegmann’s fabulous qualities and achievements.
This day of action will offer the opportunity to raise awareness for this unique art. All over the world, mouth and foot painters will demonstrate their skills in the most diverse ways. They will give countless interviews, make live painting demonstrations and be available on social media. Their emotional attachment to their joint self-help organisation and their personal accounts of what mouth or foot painting means to them will be on show, as will the impact it has on their lives.