Javier Gilmartín Hurtado has won first prize at the V Concurso Nacional de Pintura al Aire Libre in Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno The open-air competition took place on Saturday, 29 August 2026, in the extensive park grounds at Villaescusa and offered a total prize fund of 5,300 euros. According to the organisers, more than 50 artists took part.
In the adult category, Gilmartín received 2,000 euros. The runners-up were Alberto Fernández Hurtado (1,300 euros), Yohana Soldevilla Agorreta (900 euros) and Vanesa Amutio Bragado (600 euros). The Manuel Caballeira Rivas with the Accésit Café Dromedario was also awarded a prize worth 500 euros. In the 14–17 age group, Alba Trueba Ignacio won; Azul Hernández Crespo took the under-13 category. The prizes for young artists consisted of art materials.
The competition is organised by CANTUR, the regional tourism company of Gobierno de Cantabria. Participants worked outdoors in the park; the subject matter was based on the landscape, vegetation and wildlife of the site. A jury comprising artists Roberto Orallo, Joaquín Besoy, Guido Velasco and Antonio Moro, along with Eduardo Vejo, coordinator of the park’s education department, decided the awards after deliberations at the end of the event.
The Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno uses its annual competition series to promote regional art and showcase the distinctive features of the site. The former open-cast mine has been restored and now serves as a nature park, with extensive enclosures and striking rock formations that are often chosen as subjects for landscapes and wildlife depictions. According to the organisers, the competition is also intended to foster connections between professional and young artists; youth categories are a permanent feature of the format.
Facts: The competition took place on 29 August 2026; the winners and prize amounts were announced on 30 August by regional authorities and media. Assessments of the event’s significance are attributed to the organisers. No predictions were made about the competition series’ future development.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).