Art Festival

A competition celebrating creativity in Spinazzola

The Art Festival is an artistic and literary competition held every summer in Spinazzola, a town in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani nestled within the Alta Murgia National Park, in Puglia. Organized by the Pro Loco "Torre e Pino" Spinazzola APS under the patronage of the Municipality of Spinazzola, the event is part of the rich Ferie Artistiche Spinazzolesi program and reaches its fourth edition in 2026. The chosen motto invites everyone to "be inspired by the creativity, colors, and emotions of art".

Two categories for every artistic language

The competition is open to artists and authors, both professional and amateur, aged 14 and over, and is divided into two main categories that embrace all forms of creative expression:

• Category A — Literature and photography: poetry, fiction, short stories, novels, nursery rhymes, essays, and scientific texts, as well as artistic photography. Works may be submitted in Italian or in dialect, with a corresponding translation.
• Category B — Visual arts: painting, graphic design, sculpture, and artistic crafts, with each work accompanied by a short narrative or poetic text.

A qualified jury evaluates the entries and awards cash prizes and certificates to the winners in an atmosphere of exchange and mutual discovery.

A showcase for the Murgia territory

Each edition proposes a theme that intertwines art with the identity of the territory: in 2025, the central theme was "Visions from the Geopark – The colors of the bauxite mines," a tribute to the unique landscape of the Alta Murgia, its ancient mines, and its chromatic suggestions. The Art Festival thus becomes an opportunity to tell the story of Spinazzola and its symbols, from the Garagnone Castle to the famous 21-arch railway bridge.

Summer exhibition and grand awards gala

The event unfolds through several appointments between July and August: an artistic and literary exhibition opens the summer, followed by meetings with the authors, culminating in the awards ceremony with the announcement of the winners and a final gala evening. Everything takes place at the Centro del Gusto, on Corso Umberto I, the beating heart of the city's cultural events. A widespread and participatory event that, edition after edition, expands its reach well beyond municipal borders, attracting artists and enthusiasts from all over Puglia and the entire country.