2026 Paint the sky: drawing contest - 2026 Paint the sky: drawing contest

The Sagrada Família held another edition of its drawing contest, which has each participant share their own interpretation of the tower of Jesus Christ, the tallest point of the Basilica.

The competition took place on 7 November and the awards ceremony was presented by Marta Otzet, Director of Culture, Social Action and Education at the Sagrada Familia, in the cloister of Our Lady of Mercy at the Sagrada Familia.

Those in attendance included Mr Esteve Camps, Executive Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sagrada Familia; Xavier Martínez, General Director; and representatives of the Vicenç Piera de Belles Arts store, which contributed some of the prizes. During the event, participants observed the Basilica and its surroundings and chose the point of view and perspective for their drawing, from the grounds or the surrounding streets.

The jury was composed of Ms Laia Ros, member of the Board of Trustees of the Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Familia; Mr Enric Passolas, member of the Sagrada Familia art and model-making workshop; and Mr Jordi López, representative of the Coordinadora d’Entitats del barri de la Sagrada Família (Sagrada Familia Neighbourhood Association Coordination Committee).

There were 45 spots available in three age groups: 16-17 years old, 18-21 years old and 22-25 years old, with a maximum of 15 participants per category.

What did they have to bring?
Each participant had to bring their own material to draw on, which was stamped by the organisers before starting. They also had to bring anything they needed for their drawing. They could use dry media, such as pencils, graphite, charcoal, pastels or wax crayons, or watercolours, as it is a fast-drying technique.

How did the contest work?
The drawings were created completely on the day of the contest and each participant could only enter one piece.

The works were rated individually by the panel of judges on five criteria: representation of the tower of Jesus Christ, coherence of the artistic expression and the theme observed, interpretation and synthesis, composition and proportion, and expressiveness and artistic quality.

Prizes
Prizes were awarded to one winner and one runner-up in each age category, and everyone got a certificate of participation.