Pinacoteca Eduardo Úrculo

The Pinacoteca Eduardo Úrculo is a municipal arts center and gallery in La Felguera, Langreo, Asturias, Spain, specializing in art from the period of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Opened on 27 April 2007 and named after the Basque painter and sculptor Eduardo Úrculo (Santurtzi, 1938, Madrid, 2003), the institution honors his artistic and personal relationship with Langreo. Úrculo, known for his recurring motifs of luggage, the gentleman's hat, and the female bottom, maintained significant ties to the municipality that the gallery commemorates through its name and mission.

The Pinacoteca Eduardo Úrculo was established by the Langreo City Council with donations from the Cultural Society La Carbonera. It opened to the public on 27 April 2007 in the El Puente neighborhood of La Felguera. The founding represented a municipal initiative to create a dedicated space for the city's art holdings, particularly those connected to the Spanish Civil War period and regional artistic production. The involvement of La Carbonera cultural society provided an initial collection base that the municipality expanded through subsequent acquisitions and donations.

The gallery maintains both a permanent collection and temporary or rotating exhibitions. The core holdings consist of works owned by the Langreo City Council, originating from the La Carbonera donation and subsequent acquisitions. Seventy paintings were acquired by the municipality during its XIII Biennial of Painting. The collection is supplemented with works by young artists, primarily drawn from the Art Nalón competition convened by the Langreo City Council and the National Contest of Visual Arts. Thirty-one works come from the municipal library. Exhibitions typically comprise about one hundred pieces, predominantly by Asturian artists with some broader Spanish representation.

The collection features works by Eduardo Úrculo himself, alongside other significant artists including Zuco, Beltrán, Lombardía, Rey Fueyo, Vicente Iglesias, Xulián Fueyo, and Gil Morán. Prominent contemporary Asturian artists represented include Antonio Suárez, Bartolomé Sanjefa, Herminio, Fega, Pelayo Ortega, Miguel Galano, Melquíades Álvarez, Mojardín, Vicente Pastor, Kely, Lisardo, and Maojo. The Spanish Wikipedia source also notes María Lago among the represented artists in the permanent collection.

The arts center occupies industrial buildings originally constructed in 1919 by municipal architects Francisco Casariego and Enrique Rodríguez Bustelo. The structure served as a former slaughterhouse (matadero). Restored between 2005 and 2006 by Jovino Martínez Sierra, the complex comprises four buildings linked by glazed corridors, with a garden area. The restoration preserved the original structural character: some buildings were demolished, a water deposit was retained as a distinctive element, and the rail network used for moving meat carcasses was conserved. The exterior features extensive gardens near the Nalón River. The site is located in the area of the Nalón River bridge and can be accessed via the AS-17 road.

The Pinacoteca Eduardo Úrculo is located on Calle La Unión in La Felguera, Langreo, in the province of Asturias, Spain. According to the English Wikipedia, the facility is open six days per week, including holidays, and closed on Tuesdays. The Spanish Wikipedia specifies opening on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with Sunday mornings only. The center offers educational workshops for children, as well as courses, seminars, lectures, screenings, and guided tours. As a municipal institution, it is owned and operated by the Langreo City Council, serving as the city's primary public art venue.