“Europe in My Region” celebrates Asturian creativity with the ARTurias awards at IES La Florida

Asturian creativity took center stage yesterday at ARTurias, a multidisciplinary competition that brought together artists of all ages and disciplines during a gala held at IES La Florida.

The event was part of Europe in My Region 2025, organized by the European Union and the Gobierno del Principado de Asturias, and held in Asturias for the very first time.

The competition awarded three winning pieces out of twenty finalists, selected for their originality, technique and their ability to convey a personal and contemporary vision of Asturias. Its goal: to use art as a common language that connects cultures, generations and territories.“We wanted to invite people to show us how they see Asturias through their own eyes. What we received is a truly collective portrait full of emotion, diversity and talent — a living portrait of contemporary Asturian identity,” said Inmaculada Cereceda, Director of IES La Florida.

Painting, photography, illustration or collage — at ARTurias there are no age or creative limits. Participants aged 15 to 99 shared their vision of what it means to be and feel Asturias today.

This participatory spirit aligns directly with the candidacy of Oviedo Capital Europea de la Cultura 2031, which places culture and creativity at the heart of social and territorial transformation.

The gala was attended by institutional representatives and key partners, including:

Vicente Rodríguez Sáez (DG REGIO)

Alberto Gutiérrez (Ministry of Finance of Spain)

Raquel García (Directorate-General for European Affairs)

Europe and Asturias: a transforming alliance

ARTurias is part of a broader campaign that highlights five major EU-funded projects in Asturias:

The expansion of IES La Florida (Oviedo)

The transformation of the School of Art of Avilés

The creation of Spain’s first sustainable secondary school (IES La Fresneda)

The improvement of the MUJA (Jurassic Museum of Asturias)

The revitalization of Avilés Innova Center

These initiatives strengthen education, preserve cultural heritage and create new opportunities for the future, reinforcing the collaboration between the European Union and Asturias to build a more sustainable, creative and connected region.