Summer of Awe·Conru Art FoundationPresents·Pioneer Square
The Coliseum of Art · Summer 2026
Spaces range from intimate room-sized galleries and medium window bays to large immersive footprints for installation work.
About the Exhibition
THE COLISEUM OF ART is a summer multimedia exhibition honoring the universal ideals of Beauty, Truth, and Love through a modern, future-facing lens — set inside a stunning historic building. We’re assembling a premium art experience featuring the best of Seattle’s local artists, with programming that runs 5–7 days a week including ticketed evening events with live classical and contemporary performance.
The exhibit will be open to the general public and to Seattle Art Fair goers as a complementary local experience.
Exhibition video
See a quick fly through of the space
Walkthrough video
Personal walkthrough with co-producer Marty Griswold
Accessible spaces available
We have 12 small rooms at about 6 feet wide and 4 street-facing window displays available, strong middle-path options when you are not starting with the biggest footprint. We can also place large-scale work up to about 20-30 feet, and projection or dynamic work is especially exciting.
Approximate Venue Map (Placeholder)
Early planning map for room scale and rough placement. Final dimensions and placement can shift during curation and install.
What we’re looking for
We’re prioritizing large-scale, tech-driven, and immersive work, while still making room for traditional pieces in painting, photography, and sculpture.
Large-scale installations
Room-filling, immersive, ambitious. Tell us what you need.
Kinetic art
Motorized, mechanical, moving sculpture and machines.
Projection and light
Projection mapping, dynamic lighting, screen-based work.
VR and AR
Immersive headset experiences, augmented overlays, mixed reality.
Indoor murals
Wall-scale paintings inside the historic spaces.
Storefront windows
5th Ave and Pike St window bays that stop pedestrians cold.
Intimate room shows
Twelve tiny dressing rooms — solo shows or small collaborations.
Traditional canvas and sculpture
Painting, photography, sculpture for the curated gallery walls.
Two ways to participate
For artists ready to drop off work by June 1–6
Best for artists with finished pieces — painting, photography, sculpture, framed work — ready to hand off and let our team do the hanging.
For artists ready to build, install, and deliver within a 3–4 week production window
Best for installation artists, kinetic sculptors, projection and light builders, VR/AR makers, and anyone whose piece needs to be built and brought up on site.
Funding & Organizers
All invited artists receive financial compensation. Artist funding is made possible by the Conru Art Foundation, presenter of the exhibit. PublicDisplay.ART is producing.
Timeline & urgency
Apply by
May 31
Rolling. Selection begins immediately.
Install
June 1 – 7
Drop-off window June 1–6. Final install June 7.
Exhibit
June 15 – Aug 20
Five to seven days a week. Ticketed evenings with live music.
We’re building this in under 4 weeks. Submissions received before May 31 will be reviewed, but selection begins immediately — submit now to maximize your chances.
Venue photos of the tiny rooms and window bays will be posted here shortly on this page.
FAQ
The exhibit runs June 16 through August 15, 2026 at the Coliseum Building (Pike St and 5th Ave, downtown Seattle). Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and selection starts immediately.
It is a summer multimedia exhibition honoring Beauty, Truth, and Love in a historic space, with programming 5 to 7 days a week and ticketed evening events featuring live classical and contemporary performance.
The curatorial focus is on large-scale, tech-driven, and immersive work, while still making room for traditional painting, photography, and sculpture.
You can apply with Existing Work (finished pieces ready for drop-off June 1 to 6) or Quick-Turn (new or build-heavy work installed by June 7).
Existing Work placements offer up to $1,000. Quick-Turn stipends generally range from $750 to $5,000+, with room to pitch larger builds.
Walkthroughs are available to all applicants, especially for work needing electricity, projection, or suspension. A walkthrough helps with planning and fit and is not a commitment to final placement.
Yes. The venue includes 12 small rooms (about 6 feet wide) and 4 street-facing window displays, plus options for larger-scale footprints.
Artist funding is made possible by the Conru Art Foundation, presenter of the exhibit. PublicDisplay.ART is producing.
The exhibition is being built in under four weeks, so timing matters. Submissions before May 31 are reviewed, and selections begin immediately.
Email justine@conruartfoundation.org and check the answers board at PublicDisplay.ART/answers. Replies are posted within 24 hours, and duplicate questions are not answered twice.
Choose your track: Apply - Existing Work or Apply - Quick-Turn.
Questions