GEiEG: 50 years of art and culture

Last Friday, October 18, more than 3,700 students from early childhood education up to 4th ESO, from thirty schools and institutes in Girona, participated in the 50th edition of the speed painting competition for children and young people organized by the GEiEG. This edition has been one of the most crowded in recent years, filling the streets and squares of the city with small artists drawing and painting scenes of Girona and its neighborhoods.

As for the competition poster, it was initially designed by Francesc Masdevall, a member of the Sociocultural Commission. From the 1980s, the commission decided that the winning drawing of the previous edition would be the poster image for the following year. Years later, the practice of creating the poster by an artist, draftsman or designer was revived. Finally, since 2003, the tradition has been established that each year's poster is the work of the winner of the previous competition.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this event, on Thursday 24 October at 7pm, a special exhibition will be opened in the exhibition hall of the Mercè Cultural Center in Girona. In this exhibition, which can be visited until November 22, visitors will be able to see the posters of the competition over the years. Of the 49 posters published so far, 46 have been recovered for this commemorative exhibition.

Since its creation, the GEiEG has been a key agent in the promotion of sporting, social and cultural life in Girona. Art has constituted an essential element in this aspect, as demonstrated by initiatives such as the Amics de les Arts de Girona and the art exhibitions that the organization organized in the twenties. Renowned artists, such as Salvador Dalí, were recognized in these contests before reaching their notoriety. In 1974, the Sociocultural Commission was established, responsible for coordinating the first speed painting competition for young people and children. In that first edition, more than 700 participants flooded the Canalejas promenade on October 28. At first, the commission decided which part of the Old Quarter would be drawn, but from the nineties, the increase in the number of participants made it possible to expand the stage of the competition to the whole area. In 2020, due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19, the theme was opened up even more, encouraging artists to reflect their impressions of "Girona and its neighbourhoods". This tradition has been maintained, practically without interruption, for fifty years.