10th Annual Art Walk, Set to Take Place on March 31st
Cómpeta celebrates its 10th anniversary with a Festival of Art! On the 31st of March, 1st, 3rd and 4th of April the doors of the studios open in Cómpeta, and there is music in the streets. If you love art, you will not want to miss this very special event!
35 international artists representing ten different nationalities will present their works for the Art Walk Cómpeta! This impressive programme will be complemented by 7 live music performances in the squares of Cómpeta, and in the gallery Luz de la Vida. In addition there will be 5 workshops to improve your own artistic skills, a drawing contest for children and the opportunity to see artists at work. Live art during the event will include the production of a large mural, the English artist George Kowzan will create a design by Lieuwke Loth, and there will be the opportunity to see raku firing of pottery, and painters at work on their canvas. All this, and much more can be found in the colourful bouquet of art that Dutch artist, and gallery owner Lieuwke Loth and her team have put together for the 10th anniversary of Art Walk Cómpeta.
This 4-day “Walk” will be a fantastic festival of art!
At an altitude of 650 meters the charming and historic village of Cómpeta has been proud to host this event for many years. It has become an important cultural event of the Axaquira region. The Art Walk now has a permanent place in the calendar of many art lovers and attracts more and more people every year.
Over four days, from 11:00 to 14:30 and from 15:30 to 19:30, visitors are invited to admire the works of art exhibited by artists and artists in the studios and other exhibition venues of the historic town, and to meet artists personally! The artists will be happy to answer their visitors’ questions about their work, inspirations, visions and techniques.
Art Walk Exhibitions
This year’s “Art Walk Cómpeta” promises to be extremely interesting. The artists based in Cómpeta and the guest artists from further afar, will present paintings, drawings, textile art, photographic art, ceramics, bronze, wood and steel sculptures. To give a small impression:
English textile artist Diana Worthy uses a special technique from the wool of her own small alpaca herds to create magical cuddly little wool animals. The Cómpeta-born painter Gerado Garcia Avila paints his vividly colored abstract landscapes, influenced by Pollock’s style, on canvas and wooden blocks.
The German artist Gerrit Oppelland-Hampel shows brilliantly colored, large-format acrylic paintings. The Swiss artist Anne-Barbara Lenzin presents her totems made of ceramic, the German artist Jane Kleinschmidt loves the contrast of colors and shapes in her Andalusian landscapes, the painter Saad Nazih arrives from Morocco and impresses with his colorful, emerging from the dark mysterious figures , The Galeria Luz de la Vida also features the works that other participants of the 2017 International Symposium created.
The Workshops
There is not only something to see, but also exciting things to learn: five art workshops are offered.
On Saturday, the English artist Sally Hirst will introduces a group to the art of the urban sketchbook. Equipped with a small sketching set they will be guided to look around Cómpeta and capture their impressions.
On Saturday, visitors will also be able to learn the special art of raku-glaze from the Spanish ceramic artist Pepe Galvéz and take home two self-designed works.
Jersey-born photographer Nikki de Gruchy offers an experimental workshop where you can experience the power of photography as a method of personal communication. The resulting photos will be published on the Art Cómpeta website and the best photo will be selected by the readers. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, April 3rd.
In the workshops of the Dutch painter Linda Roffel, the participants learn and test with the help of the spatula how they can shape the transition from figurative to abstract painting. This workshop is offered twice, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
For the little ones, templates are created by a participating artist, which they can now colour to their heart’s content. These colourings can then be admired on the walls of the elementary school. After the Art Walk, the three winners selected by a jury will be announced.
Art Walk Music in the streets and houses
To mark the 10th anniversary of Art Walks Cómpeta more music is played than ever! Every day you can enjoy live music!
EspaBelgajazz, a fantastic lounge jazz band, will kick off the festival on Saturday. They play mainstream jazz standards, some Latin jazz, bossa nova and many improvisations.
Also on Sunday, the band Jukebox Bandits with their electric mix of pop, rock, blues and folk can be heard on the afternoon. Singer-songwriter Keith James will be performing with his music on Sunday evening at the Galerie Luz de la Vida.
On Tuesday, local musicians will offer a jam session on the Plaza Almijara.
Trinity ‘is a trio of experienced musicians under the direction of the great Italian singer Dana Andrews Vignati. They move with passion and a lot of feeling between Blues, Jazz, Soul and Pop / Rock Classics. They can be heard on Wednesday. Brendon Tylor will perform as well, songwriter and singer, an artist who masters many instruments.
The closing concert on Wednesday will be dedicated to Spanish music: ‘Aire Flamenco’ will be played from 21:00 to 24:00 at bar Pampona.
About Cómpeta
Cómpeta is a very special place, it lies high, stretched out at the foot of the Sierra Almijara. This traditional white village offers breathtaking sea views and stunning mountain views, winding, narrow streets, a variety of excellent restaurants and a wonderful community.
A place worth exploring! The village has a large number of different accommodation options, from bed and breakfasts to hotels and apartments for the visitors who like to stay one or two nights. For some guests of “Art Walks Cómpeta” it may also be tempting to combine a visit to the art with watching a Semana Santa procession on Saturday or Sunday.
The artists of Cómpeta love to celebrate the art, the music and the creativity with their visitors for four days: on Saturday, March 31st, Sunday, April 1st and April 3rd and 4th! (Please note: Monday is excluded).
For more detailed information about the map, workshops, music and participants please visit Art Competa
