The museum of Fuente Álamo

A susrprisingly complete modern art collection and an ethnographic display in Fuente Álamo

The Museo de Fuente Álamo is a strikingly modern building located on the outskirts of the town, and houses a surprisingly complete collection of contemporary art as well as an interesting ethnographical display, giving information about the traditional lifestyle of the area before the onset of modern technology and communications.

The total floor area is almost 2,000 square metres, with exhibitions on three floors, each corresponding to a different theme: ethnography, paintings and, on the ground floor, workshops, used for a variety of courses and classes.

Visitors arriving at the museum are greeted by a collection of contemporary sculptures, both in and outside the museum, including works by José Planes, José Molera, Pedro Pardo, Múher and Pepe Yagües.

The ground floor of the building, is devoted to ethnography. The exhibits and displays relate to traditional occupations and crafts such as weaving, carpentry, smithies, ceramics, esparto grass and agriculture, all of them showing how residents of the area adapted to the resources, climate and landscape which surrounded them.

What we take for granted today includes running water, fridges, electricity, gas cookers and cars, but until just a few years ago these technologies were not available in rural Spain and residents relied on the skills and knowledge handed down to them from previous generations. This exhibition uses displays of implements and images to give a clear idea of what was involved in the processes of daily survival.

On the top floor is a permanent exhibition of contemporary paintings which has been built up since 1973, fruits of the painting competition known as the Premio Nacional de Pintura Villa de Fuente Álamo, one of the longest-running of its type in the whole of Spain.

This is one of the most numerous and prestigious public collections in the Region of Murcia. There are more than fifty works by renowned artists, including Aurelio, Ángel Hernansáez, Sánchez Baillo, Manuel Delgado, José María Párraga and Belzunce, as well as more recent contributions by Ángel Haro, Gil Antonio Munuera and Concha Martínez Barreto.

The Certamen Nacional de Pintura Villa de Fuente Álamo was first held in August 1973, when it was organised by the Círculo Medina cultural association, a group of young artists who wanted to do something different as part of the celebrations relating to the ammual San Agustín Fiestas.

Their proposal for a painting competition was backed by the Mayoress at the time, Francisca Mayordomo, and the municipal council she headed. Strange though it might seem, in the last years of Franco’s régime the venue chosen for the first exhibitions was the local headquarters of the Guardia Civil.

When that building was demolished in 1979 the competition survived, using various different premises until 1986, when it found a new home in the Casa de la Cultura. The first edition of the competition offered a first prize of 20,000 pesetas, by no means a figure to be sneezed at in 1973, and other prizes were 10,000, 8,000 and 2,500 pesetas.

When the Museo Fuente Álamo opened, the collection of paintings was moved out of the municipal offices into this new and more spacious home.

This is a very interesting exhibition, tracking the development of contemporary painting in the Region of Murcia year after year, and some of the artists who won the competition early in their careers went on to become internationally recognised. Many are still working and exhibiting today

On the mezzanine floor is a multi-purpose area of more than 180 square metres which is used for both exhibitions and workshops related to traditional arts and crafts and fine art. This encompasses a wide variety of activities, from esparto grass to painting, papier maché to ceramics, and engraving to digital photography.

It´s not a huge Museum, but is certainly worth visiting if you have an interest in contemporary art or live locally! There are not a lot of tourist sites in Fuente Álamo, but it is also worth visiting the open-air water museum which is just a couple of minutes' drive away.

Visitors to the area may also enjoy driving from Fuente Álamo to nearby La Pinilla, where outside the little church is a sculpture by Antonio Campillo, one of Murcia´s most important sculptors. The village also boasts a Vía Crucis walk which gives superb views across the area.

Visiting the Fuente Álamo Museum

Opening times: Weekdays 10.00 to 14.00.

Location: On the main road heading out to Corvera (Avenida de Los Reyes de España). This is about a 2-minute drive from the local Mercadona supermarket and the open-air water museum.

Museo Fuente Álamo, Avenida de los Reyes de España, 30320 Fuente Alamo, Murcia (click for map)

Telephone: (+34) 968 103251