CR Pride Art Show
CR Pride is excited to announce the call for entries for our 2026 Pride Month Art Show, hosted at CSPS Hall. This year’s theme is Queer Joy, and we invite artists to submit work that celebrates queer joy in all its forms—uplifting, imaginative pieces that illuminate what makes queer life beautiful, from laughter, love, and unity to self-discovery, creativity, and unapologetic self-expression.
We welcome artwork that reflects both the past and present realities of the LGBTQ+ experience, including the ways joy persists amid stigma, discrimination, and struggle. We also encourage pieces that explore queer joy as emotional safety, radical self-acceptance, and collective resilience, as well as work that envisions expansive futures shaped by possibility, liberation, and thriving. This exhibition seeks art that allows audiences to feel queer joy—not just witness struggle—and invites reflection on how joy sustains us and helps build the futures we deserve.
Important Dates:
- Submission Deadline: March 31, 2026
- Opening Reception: Last weekend of May 2026 (exact date and time TBD)
- Exhibition Run: On display throughout June 2026
Call for Entries Details:
- Open to all artists, with priority given to LGBTQ+ artists and artists local to Linn County and surrounding counties (Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Delaware, Iowa, Jones, and Johnson County)
- Artwork may be two- or three-dimensional and in any medium
- Artists may submit up to three (3) original pieces
- No digital reproduction prints
- No entry fee — participation is completely free
- Artists may choose to sell their work and will retain 100% of commission
For viewing accessibility, entries will be categorized as either “family friendly” or “adult content.” Family friendly artwork must be appropriate for all ages and free from depictions of illegal drugs or paraphernalia, smoking/tobacco/vaping, nudity, sexually graphic content, violence, weapons (real or fake), or foul language.
To submit your work or ask questions, please contact Madison at madison@crprideia.com.
We can’t wait to see how you bring Queer Joy to life and help us celebrate Pride Month through art, resilience, and community.
