CR Pride Art Show 2026

Submissions may reflect on the past and present realities of the LGBTQ+ experience, including the ways joy persists amid stigma, discrimination, and struggle. We welcome artwork that explores queer joy as emotional safety, radical self-acceptance, and collective resilience, as well as work that envisions expansive futures - worlds shaped by possibility, liberation, and thriving. This exhibition seeks pieces that allow audiences to feel queer joy, not just witness struggle, and that invite reflection on how joy sustains us and helps build the futures we deserve.

• Open to all artists - with priority given to LGBTQ+ artists, and artists who are local (from Linn County and surrounding counties, Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Delaware, Iowa, Jones, and Johnson County)
• Art may be two- or three-dimensional, and in any medium. Artists may submit up to three (3) pieces of artwork
• All artwork must be original work and not a digital reproduction print
• Art show is completely free to participate in (zero entry fees)
• Artists may sell their artwork, and will retain 100% of the commission (optional)
• Entries will be separated by “adult content” or “family friendly” for different viewing audiences. Family friendly art should be appropriate to be seen by all ages, free from the depiction of illegal drugs and/or drug paraphernalia, smoking/tobacco/vaping and/or related items, nudity, sexually graphic content, images of violence, weapons and fake weapons, or foul language.

Contact Madison with CR Pride at madison@crprideia.com