The origins 

In the late seventies, the Círculo of Fine ArtsA change was needed. There were two important events that he was able to take advantage of: first, the Association of Visual Artists in Madrid needed a space to develop its activities; second, the Director General of Cultural Dissemination, Antonio Papell Cervera, wrote a letter to the secretary of the CBA, Arturo Barea Sabas on February 21, 1978, in which he requested, at the request of the Pieter Brueghel Art Gallery of Holland, a list of Spanish artists with their resumes so that they could contact them for future projects. 

El CBA He didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity. His good relationship with Juana Mordó facilitated the connection of emerging artists of the time with the institution. In this way, he fostered cultural exchange, a skill that brought about a change in the Spanish cultural and artistic landscape.  

With a renewed board of directors, 1983 marked the beginning of a new era for the organization. Sculptor Martín Chirino was elected president, and on May 11 of that year, the Visual Arts Committee was established. Composed of artists Lucio Muñoz, Juan Genovés, Rafael Canogar, and José Luis Fajardo, elected by vote, its objective was to prioritize artistic activities. The board also agreed to hire María Luisa Martín de Argila as coordinator responsible for the new Visual Arts Area. CBA It begins to promote original artistic and learning initiatives free from all academicism: the development of artistic workshops called Contemporary Art Workshops and the production of graphic work.  

Production of graphic work 

Regarding the production of graphic works, in its desire to attend to and promote the different artistic expressions and support relevant initiatives of its institution, the CBA He initiated two important projects: the release of three album-sized folders of Contemporary Art (1983-1986), which combined recordings of seven newly premiered works by young composers with seven original drawings by painters who led workshops during those courses (the LPs included pieces by Llorenç Barber, Alfredo Aracil, Daniel Zimbaldo, and serigraphs by Manuel Hernández Mompó, Eduardo Arroyo, and Frederic Amat, among others). The second project was the Graphic Works collection (serigraphs and lithographs), edited by Guillermo Chamorro. To commemorate the Contemporary Art Workshops of 1986-1989, these prints were printed on Guarro Casas paper, Michel paper, and other papers of varying weights, measuring 100 x 70 cm, with bleed-through edges. They are signed and numbered by some of the artists who taught classes during those years: Concha Jerez, Manuel Alcorlo, Nacho Criado, Ross Blecker and Ian Wallace, among others.  

Learning in el Círculo de Bellas ArtesThe Free Workshops and the Contemporary Art Workshops¹ 

María Luisa Martín de Argila 

Since its foundation, el Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid It has carried out important work in the field of fine arts education and artistic techniques. As early as the late 19th century, the Circle housed so-called "free workshops," alternative spaces for artistic practice that operated completely independently and outside the official schools. These workshops, where artists and students could go to hone their skills and practice their knowledge without any constraints, soon became an essential place for learning the fine arts. Painters, sculptors, and architects became regular attendees of this unique school, where, for a small fee, they could draw from life without any artistic direction. The workshops offered artists a wide variety of artistic practice options: life drawing workshops with both male and female models, still life workshops, printmaking workshops, and even classrooms where participants could tailor their learning to their own needs.  

As with many other institutions, the consequences of the Civil War were very painful for the CBA, which suffered the occupation and use of its facilities for the most unusual purposes, little or nothing related to the cultural spirit that inspired its founding. However, throughout these dark years in which the CBA While subjected to an existence compromised by spurious interests, these workshops, located on the top floor and probably forgotten by their political leaders, maintained their activity and spirit, oblivious to what transpired on the lower floors of that peculiar institution. Paradoxically, they continued to welcome many artists, some of them future protagonists of the postwar avant-garde, who, eager for creative freedom, came there fleeing the anachronistic official schools to practice in absolute liberty.  

The arrival at CBA, In 1982, the appointment of a new board of directors, chaired by Martin Chirino, caused a complete upheaval in all aspects of this historic institution. The primary concern of this team was to recapture the spirit with which the center had been founded—designed by artists for artists—and return it to society. Thus, the CBA It overcame its darkest and most troubled period and once again became the beloved home of artists. It was the visual artists who comprised this board of directors—Lucio Muñoz, Rafael Canogar, Juan Genovés, José Luis Fajardo, and Martín Chirino himself—who, supported by art critic Francisco Calvo Serraller and the rest of the management team, had the brilliant idea of ​​creating a unique form of art education that they themselves called "Contemporary Art Workshops." Although the idea for these workshops wasn't entirely original, it was quite novel in Spain. The aim was to establish creative spaces, artists' studios where a renowned "master" would teach art for a period of four weeks. Here, the new masters could teach with complete freedom. They had to choose their programs, their objectives, their techniques, their language, the format of their workshop, and even the physical location where it would take place. 

The Contemporary Art Workshops were inspired by the workshops of the 15th century. Until well into the 19th century, when the academy began to assume disproportionate importance, the artist's apprenticeship was based on a close relationship between master and pupil. The apprentice chose their workshop and was simultaneously accepted by the master, in a mutual exchange of interests and approaches to life. As if it were a long-term investment, the student began by taking care of domestic tasks, then moved on to the preparation of paints, and ultimately sought to perpetuate and, in some cases, surpass the master's work.  

The Contemporary Art Workshops of CBA According to these criteria, the courses were structured into monthly workshops representing various trends in the visual arts of the time. In most cases, the learning period was preceded by a week of lectures analyzing the master's life and work from a bibliographic, historical, and critical perspective. Afterward, the artist made a selection from among those who had applied to attend his workshop. In this ebb and flow of introductions, which would lead to a prolonged period of interaction, the master chose his students not so much for the quality of their work, but for the possibility of genuine connection. To this end, he used the submitted documentation to select those artists with whom he could feel a true affinity of artistic inspiration.  

In practice, master and apprentice attended the workshop every day for approximately four weeks. They met in an open space, without a fixed schedule, where they could work uninterrupted morning and afternoon. This learning system, rooted in past artistic traditions, allowed teachers and students to develop their work in a free environment, without the constraints of rigid external disciplines. The system was based on mutual attraction and soon generated a sense of contagion and absolute freedom, a very special energy that facilitated artistic expression. Both parties enjoyed a completely new experience, since it should be remembered that most of the visiting masters had never had any contact with teaching before. 

From the outset, a clear presence of artists dissatisfied with the training offered in fine arts faculties was evident among the participants. Most of the students who attended were young painters, some already graduated, others still students, who wanted to escape the eclecticism and impersonality of traditional teaching and sought a vital balance between theory and practice. In the workshops of CBA They found a very attractive formula, nothing new but undeniably effective: the dialogue between established artists and young hopefuls, the advice and personal attention, the support and critical analysis offered in a direct and relaxed way, with no limits other than those imposed by the relationship between an occasional teacher and his students.  

This pedagogical experience, in which teacher and student worked side by side, produced mutually enriching results. It fostered the student's individuality and established a profound interrelation of artistic experiences in which each contributed their own sensibility. The student was encouraged to express their knowledge, their doubts, their rebelliousness, and their particular attitudes toward artistic activity. While it is true that the experience of others can never replace one's own, any young artist needs to refine their innovative spirit and their drive to explore through this type of relationship in order to find their personal voice. 

One of the keys to the success of these Contemporary Art Workshops was the diversity of the offerings presented to students, from established artists to teachers. But from the second season onward, the aim was to ensure that each cycle represented different aspects of artistic creation: abstract, figurative, realist, conceptual, geometric, established, and alternative artists. Similarly, each instructor was encouraged to give their workshop a personal focus with complete freedom. 

The result was a wide variety of workshops. Some were eminently practical, others aimed at creating a collective work in which all participants took part, and still others focused primarily on theoretical discussion. Some were held inside the workshop classroom, others throughout the building, some in urban spaces, others in museums and art galleries… these workshops became an alternative to the overcrowded and dehumanized formal education system, a kind of parallel university fueled by the longing for an older, more personalized and direct style of art instruction.  

From the first moment, the CBA He understood the importance and significance of these workshops, both among the masters and their students and within the wider artistic community. Therefore, he also promoted the display and exhibition of the results of these fruitful exchanges and organized, as the closing event for each season, group exhibitions showcasing the achievements of these enriching experiences. Critics, curators, gallery owners, and collectors sought in these annual exhibitions, which summarized the work carried out in each workshop, new proposals and promising names for the future of Spanish art. 

The success of the Contemporary Art Workshops organized by the Visual Arts Department encouraged other departments at the CBA to develop similar programs. Photography workshops began in 1985, and workshops and seminars in the image and video department also started in 1986. The music, theater, and dance departments also held their respective workshops.  

The workshop program, which ran from October 1983 to June 1997, was a resounding success. From its very first offering, the demand for places far exceeded expectations. This initiative soon inspired the creation of similar workshops in other Spanish cities.