RCAB 2

31 S ince its foundation in 1881, the main objective of the Circle has been to be a reference in the world of art and culture, and has developed a great number of initiatives to this end; but it has always paid special attention to those members dedicated to the visual arts. It has been essential to maintain a correct working of the various studies offered by the entity, where the associa- ted artists have developed their own activity, just as it has been essential to organise collective exhibition where awards were given as an incentive for all of them. Thus, through its various calls for entries, the Circle stimulates and promotes its mem- bers’ creativity. The entity wishes to be a launchpad for its vi- sual artists. Throughout its history the institution has always given prizes to artistic stimulation, as we can see in autumn 1897 when the board of directors had created free places to compete at the natural drawing classes, a promotion that carried on for many years. In 1904, so as to promote artistic ideals via a yearly com- petition, they carried on with the assignation of free places to attend classes that was won that year by the painter Francesc Gimeno, amongst others. In 1902, the Board of Directors agreed to organise annual exhi- bition of life model studies as an incentive to the younger mem- bers of the Circle, with prizes to the best academies. This initia- tive became consolidated and in 1914, the following won prizes: Josep de Togores, Ramon Rigol, Rafael Solanich and Joan Vila. In 1920 it becomes a statutory competition amongst competitors in the natural drawing room. In 1944, the competition ran with the name of Annual Academies Competition for those artists at- tending painting and drawing classes. The creation of travel scholarships in 1919 also had a good record. Specifically in that year, the painting scholarship was awarded to Gaspar Escuder, sculpture to Josep Tenas and the decorative arts scholarship was given to Manuel Fontanals. In 1921 the sculpture grant was given to Joan Rebull, decorative art to Ramon Rigol and painting to Pere Badia. In 1908 and 1909, a competition was organised to award the best invited projects amongst the members of our institution on the occasion of the gala ball to be celebrated at the Gran Teatre del Liceu’s foyer in association with the Board of Directors of the Cercle del Liceu, a prize won both years by Joan Colom. We had a good response to the competition of posters designed to announce exhibitions at our institution, but the ones that were most successful and carried on for many years were the Masquerade Ball posters. These dances organised by the Circle took place at various theatres around the city, especially so in those celebrated at the Gran Teatre del Liceu for their social impact. In this area of artistic speciality we should mention the contributions of Ramon Rigol, Gerard Carbonell, Josep Alumà, Lluís Muntané, Josep Morell amongst others. The Circle also ca- lled its members to compete in various advertising campaigns, such as Hispanis’s men’s braces, Gal for Heno de Právia soap, or posters for films such as The Adventures of Arsène Lupin, or Barcelona’s Sorel cognac, Sterling table water, for Fashions Ltd., the successor company to Martí i Martí, the advertisers for Barcelona’s Grand Parade at the Mercè festival between 1959 and 1970, as well as professional projects such as the Barcelona Publishing and Intellectual Property Chamber. In early 1917 a competition was launched for the adoption of the Circle’s new social stamp and a few months later for the me- dal, won by the sculptor Enric Basses. In 1918 they sought to create a bookplate for the library, and in 1953 there was another competition for a new bookplate, won by Marc Farell. In 1919 the institution organised a National Photography Pri- ze, in 1961 one for Stereoscopic Slides and in 1966 the 1st Free Photography Competition. In the 1950s the call for entries for the ‘Study of Portrait’ com- petition arose from an initiative of the member Arturo Potau de Torre de Mer, and the ‘Art Competition’ dates around the same period. In its third edition in 1955, the latter was financed by Eusebi Güell i Jover to honour the memory of his father Euse- bi Güell i López, the institution’s president between 1946 and 1955. The sculptor Lluís Montané Mollfulleda was the winner of the Circle’s medal of honour. The Circle collaborated in the scholarship awarded by the Güell Foundation, launched in 1956. The scholarshops were started in 1982 when the president was Eusebi Güell i Jover, who was also president of the Artistic Circle from 1956 onwards. The finalists’ works are on show at the Circle, and our instituion is also home to the winning pieces. For the last two years the Circle has awarded the ‘City of Barce- lona Prize’, reflecting the 1931 ‘Barcelona as seen by its artists’ prize, which has been very well-received. Another of the institution’s collective calls for work, and one that is quite famous, is the Saint George’s Exhibition – the 2015 edi- tion was the seventh; and had over 60 participating members. In December we celebrated the 44th Annual Art Salon, with over a hundred members participating. Just as in the Saint George edition, any artistic technique can feature (drawing, oils, water- colours, printing, sculpture, etc.). There are three remunerated prizes as well as honourable mentions. The jury assigned by the institution are external members: art historians, critics and ga- llery owners. In some collective exhibitions, especially if they are celebrated outside the institution, the prizes are not remunerated, and on many occasions we have to undertake an initial participant selection process. This year, members of the Circle have parti- cipated in the 5th International Watercolour Triennial at the Santa Marta Contemporary Art Bolivarian Museum Foundation in Colombia, at the 6th edition of ‘Art on paper’ with the Dones d’Aigua collective at the Madrid Fine Arts Circle, and at the Fun- dació CEIC to exhibit at their temporary exhibition hall in Be- tanzos (A Coruña) with artists from the Madrid Fine Arts Circle, and finally at the Benedormiens Castle in Castell d’Aro (Girona). We have brought back the biennial Victorià Seix Drawing Pri- ze, established at the Circle in November 1950, when Ramon