A distinguished jury composed of the prestigious Granada-born painter Juan Vida and the highly acclaimed artist Cristina Megía, along with Fine Arts professor Consuelo Vallejo, was in charge of awarding the prizes at the First Open-Air Quick Painting Contest “In Lorca’s Poplar Groves,” which took place this Sunday, May 8, in Valderrubio (Granada).

The contest unfolded in an incomparable setting: the poplar groves of Granada where Federico García Lorca spent his childhood and early youth, in the surroundings of the Fuente de la Teja, the area around the Daimuz farmhouse, and the banks of the Cubillas and Genil rivers. “Listen to the ballad of the water in the poplar groves…” reads one of the verses Federico García Lorca dedicated to these artificial yet beautiful forests, so characteristic of the landscape of the Vega of Granada. The poplar groves played a significant role in the life and work of our universal poet, serving as inspiration in his works and in some of the letters he wrote to family and friends.

The contest was organized by the Valderrubio City Council, together with the Granada Provincial Council and the Life Wood for the Future Project of the University of Granada, as part of the event “Strokes of Circular Bioeconomy from the Granada Poplar Groves,” included in the European Green Week 2025. Both the reception and the stamping of the supports for participation in this quick painting contest in Lorca’s poplar groves, as well as the award ceremony, took place at the Federico García Lorca House Museum in Valderrubio.

Throughout the day, following the opening by the Mayor of Valderrubio, José Antonio García, and project coordinator Antolino Gallego, there were several presentations. Mercedes García de Quesada, director of the Civitas-UGR Chair “Sustainability, Innovation, and Development,” spoke first, followed by José María Gil, who discussed the role of poplar groves as sources and refuges of biodiversity. Ana Cruz explained the environmental and social services offered by these woodlands. Antolino Gallego spoke on the use of poplar wood in sustainable industrialized construction. Finally, poet and actor Francisco Vaquero gave a talk on the presence of poplar groves in the life and work of Federico García Lorca.

The event concluded with closing remarks by the Government Subdelegate, José Antonio Montilla; the Deputy for European Funds, Development, Industry, and Employment of the Granada Provincial Council, Mr. Antonio Díaz; and the Regional Delegate for Tourism, Culture, and Sports, David Rodríguez.

Antolino Gallego, coordinator of Life Wood for the Future, UGR, participated in the framework of the “In Lorca’s Poplar Groves” Painting Contest, within the event “Strokes of Circular Bioeconomy in the Granada Poplar Groves.”

According to the jury, selecting the winning works was not an easy task due to the success and high level of the competition, which featured fifty-one participants from diverse backgrounds, all demonstrating outstanding quality. A total of €4,800 in prizes was awarded, distributed among seven distinctions, granted by various institutions and sponsoring companies that supported the contest.

List of Award Winners:

1st Prize (Valderrubio Town Council and the Provincial Council of Granada): ROSA CANO
2nd Prize (Iberdrola): PAULINA SILVA
3rd Prize (Aguasvira): BERNARDINO SÁNCHEZ BAYO
4th Prize (Caja Rural de Granada): MARÍA JOSÉ MUÑOZ ARIA
4th Prize (Fundación Zayas): ANTONIO FERNÁNDEZ MONTES
5th Prize (Iberolam): ANA SÁNCHEZ
5th Prize (Asprodibe): PEDRO IGLESIAS

This contest aimed to highlight the value of poplar groves and invited participants to spend a day enjoying these exceptional landscapes of the Vega of Granada, appreciating their beauty and the many benefits they provide. The delight of the senses experienced in these natural settings was undoubtedly an inspiration for the artworks created in situ, just as they once were for Federico García Lorca.