Salon of Colombian Artists

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Salon of Colombian Artists

The Salon of Colombian Artists is a major yearly arts event in Colombia. It runs from August 5 to September 12 and includes two main parts: a national contest and a group of regional contests.

History in brief
- The idea came during the presidency of Enrique Olaya Herrera, who wanted to create an official gallery.
- The first official Salon was held in 1931 at the Fine Arts Pavilion in Independence Park, Bogotá. Ricardo Gómez Campuzano won the painting prize and Luis Alberto Acuña won in sculpture.
- The event became an annual competition starting in 1940.

Winners (highlights)
- 1940: Ignacio Gómez Jaramillo won the first prize in painting; Santiago Martínez Delgado won a gold medal for painting “El que volvio.”
- 1958: Fernando Botero won for “La Camara Degli Sposi” (painting).
- 1961: Ignacio Gómez Jaramillo won for three drawings.
- 1987: Luis Fernando Peláez won with a sculpture titled “Sin título.”
- 1989: Diego Mazuera painted “Desayuno en las rocas.”
- 1990: Rafael Echeverri painted “Sin título.”
- 1992: Nadín Ospina created “In - Partibus Infidelium,” an installation.
- 1996: María Teresa Hincapié presented “Divina proporción” (a performance).
- 2000: Proyecto Pentágono (a project work) appeared in the competition.
- 2002: Juan José Rendón presented “Movimiento interior” (video installation).

In short, the Salon has showcased many important Colombian artists over the decades, highlighting painting, sculpture, photography, installations and other media. It remains one of the country’s longest-running and most significant art events.