Herencia will once again bring painting to its streets on Saturday, September 19, 2026, with the 19th National Quick Painting Contest “Villa de Herencia.” This year’s event, part of the pre-festival activities, will award €3,450 across seven prizes and is open to artists of any nationality residing in Spain.
Key points about the Quick Painting Contest in 20 seconds
- The contest will take place on Saturday, September 19, fully dedicated to Herencia.
- Artists residing in Spain may participate, using any technique with works sized 50×70 centimeters.
- Seven prizes totaling €3,450 will be awarded.
- Registration will be available that same morning from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.
This event comes just a few days before the Festivities in honor of the Virgin of Mercedes, scheduled for September 23-27. The Town Hall has included the contest in a pre-festival program aimed at expanding cultural and festive activities during the weekend before the patron saint festivities.
One of the main innovations for this edition is the prize money, which has increased from previous years to a total of €3,450, thanks to contributions from the Town Hall and various sponsoring companies.
Herencia, its streets, and traditions as the main focus
The contest has a specific theme: Herencia. Participants can choose their technique freely, but they must find their subject within the municipality to transfer onto their canvas.
The possibilities are vast. The contest accepts urban and rural panoramas, historic buildings, public squares, parks, monuments, and other sites of interest, including the church, convent, chapels, mills, Quhesalia, or the Water Wells.
Scenes related to customs, festivities, and daily life of the residents, as well as characteristic indoor spaces, courtyards, old houses, churches, chapels, or wineries, may also be depicted.
The aim is for various locations in Herencia to transform into makeshift outdoor studios for a few hours, allowing residents and visitors to observe participants’ creative processes directly.
Each artist must work on a smooth, white canvas of 50×70 centimeters, which must not have been previously used. Numbering and stamping will take place on the same Saturday between 9:00 and 10:00 AM at the exhibition hall “Agustín Úbeda”.
After registering, each participant will receive a list of available indoor spaces for the contest, including both public locations and private properties whose owners have granted access permission.
Registration can be done in person that morning. The rules also allow for pre-registration via email.
Seven prizes ranging from €400 to €650
This year’s contest features seven financial awards. The first prize, sponsored by the Town Hall of Herencia, is worth €650.
The second prize, sponsored by Color Vivo Internet and Garden Viveros Ferca, amounts to €550. Rotulación Técnica S.L. (Rotec) provides the third prize, worth €500, while Prefadhor (Tubyder S.L.) sponsors the fourth prize, valued at €475.
The fifth prize, from Harinas Palmero S.L., will be €450; Traza2, Architecture and Urbanism sponsors a sixth prize of €425; and Acoher S.L. completes the lineup with a seventh award of €400.
In total, the prize money amounts to €3,450.
The councilor of culture, Aitor Gallego de la Sacristana, has encouraged both amateur and professional painters to participate in a day that aims to combine artistic creation, heritage, and street activity during the pre-festival period.
The schedule will require participants to work quickly. The works must be completed by 4:00 PM, when they will be displayed on the esplanade next to the summer auditorium near the “Agustín Úbeda” hall.
Each artist will showcase their painting on an easel accompanied by their identification number.
The works may be put up for sale after the contest
The jury’s decision will be announced starting at 4:00 PM, coinciding with the public exhibition of the paintings. Following that, the awards will be presented near the “Agustín Úbeda” hall.
The rules also offer an interesting option for those visiting the exhibition: unawarded works may be put up for sale if the author desires.
If a sale occurs, negotiations and transactions will be handled directly between the artist and the buyer. The Town Hall will only be responsible for the location and will not intervene in the sales conditions.
Purchase works will remain on display in the “Agustín Úbeda” hall until the conclusion of the National Painting Contest “Jesús Madero.” As a general rule, sold works can be collected starting on October 5, unless the author arranges another date with the Town Hall in advance.
Unawarded and unsold works will have a one-year period for collection. After this period, they will become the property of the Town Hall of Herencia and incorporated into the municipal art collection.
For awarded paintings, the rules specify they will remain with the corresponding sponsoring entities once the artwork is delivered and the contest is concluded.
With this event, the National Quick Painting Contest “Villa de Herencia” reaches its nineteenth edition and once again connects a day of artistic creation with some of the most recognizable spaces, buildings, and landscapes of the town.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the Quick Painting Contest of Herencia 2026 take place?
On Saturday, September 19, 2026. Registration and stamping of canvases will occur from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.
How much prize money is awarded?
The 19th edition offers seven prizes totaling €3,450, with individual amounts ranging from €400 to €650.
Who can participate?
The call is open to individuals of any nationality residing in Spain, who possess a DNI or NIE and hold a bank account in Spain.
What can be painted in the contest?
The theme is Herencia. Acceptable subjects include panoramas, buildings, and iconic locations, customs and traditions, characteristic interiors, courtyards, wineries, and other spaces linked to the municipality.
Spanish post in Herencia celebrará el 19 de septiembre su 19º Certamen de Pintura Rápida
