ART AT COS

Cottonwood Center for the Arts is beyond thrilled to announce a new partnership with Colorado Springs Airport!

Art at COS includes a lofty gallery space newly located in the second floor of COS, stewarded by Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Beginning January 2026, Art at COS will feature rotating installations of thoughtfully selected contemporary works by local artists, as well as historical works relevant to our area. All artists are invited to participate by responding to the upcoming Art at COS calls for entries, which are listed on this page below.

COS Airport is often the first impression of our city and the Pikes Peak Region, and Art at COS immediately connects visitors and residents alike to Colorado Springs’ rich history, cultural diversity, and vibrant creative community at large. 

CURRENT EXHIBTION

JANUARY - APRIL 2026 | WINDOW SEAT: views from the stratosphere

OPENING reception | JANUARY 29 | 4PM - 6PM

Cottonwood Center for the Arts in partnership with Colorado Springs Airports’ Art at COS is pleased to present a call for entries for an exhibition opening the month of January 2026: Window Seat - Views from the Stratosphere.

Window Seat invited local creatives from every discipline to share their interpretation of a view from an airplane passenger window - quilted fields, epic sunsets, wild weather from above the clouds, and beyond. Your imagination - and the sky - is the limit.

Artwork will be on display January to April.

CALLs FOR ART AT COS

Please review our show entry guidelines before you begin your submission. All mediums will be considered.

APRIL - JULY 2026 | INFLIGHT DINING - In Consideration of the Airline Meal

submissions due by | 04/03/2026
sELECTED ARTISTS NOTIFIED | 04/15/2026
SELECTED ARTWORK due | 04/16, 04/17 10am - 5:30pm or 04/18 10am - 1:30pm

Cottonwood Center for the Arts in partnership with Colorado Springs Airports’ Art at COS is pleased to present a call for entries for an exhibition opening the month of April 2026: INFLIGHT DINING - In Consideration of the Airline Meal.

INFLIGHT DINING invites local creatives from every discipline to share their interpretation of airline cuisine through the ages - from 1919 to 2026. The fine table settings and foie gras of the 30's, the Great Sandwich War of 1958, the peanut’s grand entrance in 1977, and beyond. Your imagination - and the sky - is the limit.

For inspiration:

CONTEMPORARY AIRLINE MEAL ARCHIVE

THE GREAT SANDWICH WAR OF 1958

The most decadent airline menus throughout history

A Brief History of Airline Food

The History of Inflight Dining

Artwork will be on display April to July. Artworks will not be listed as for sale, however throughout the duration of the exhibition, airport guests and staff will be invited to engage with the artwork by voting for the works they enjoyed, with two pieces ultimately being selected for micro-grants based on the number of votes received. The artists behind these chosen pieces will receive a micro-grant of either $200.00 for second most votes, or $400.00 for most votes to further their artistic practices.

Each artist can submit up to three pieces. There is no charge to submit. All mediums will be accepted for this call.

Submissions must be completed digitally by April 3rd via email, to gallery@cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com, with the subject line INFLIGHT DINING. Selected artists will be notified by email 04/15/2026, selected artwork will be due at Cottonwood Center for the Arts 04/16, 04/17 10am - 5:30pm or 04/18 10am - 1:30pm.

please review submission guidelines at the bottom of this page

JULY - NOVEMBER 2026 | MANY HAPPY RETURNS - A birthday exhibition for colorado and america

submissions due by | 06/24/2026
sELECTED ARTISTS NOTIFIED | 07/15/2026
SELECTED ARTWORK due | 07/18 - 10am - 1:30pm or 07/21, 07/22 10am - 5:30pM

Cottonwood Center for the Arts in partnership with Colorado Springs Airports’ Art at COS is pleased to present a call for entries for an exhibition opening the month of July 2026: MANY HAPPY RETURNS - A Birthday Exhibition for Colorado and America.

Written by Catherine Lee Bates in 1893, America the Beautiful is a poem inspired by the American landscape, and the towering mountain we navigate east vs west by everyday here in Colorado Springs: Pikes Peak. The poem was later paired with the hymn Materna by Samuel A. Ward, becoming the song we know today, a celebration of America's Mountain, the spirit of unity, our rich and diverse history, and the beauty of this land.

For this call we are asking artists for their interpretation of these concepts, your imagination - and the sky - is the limit.

Artwork will be on display July to early November. Artworks will not be listed as for sale, however throughout the duration of the exhibition, airport guests and staff will be invited to engage with the artwork by voting for the works they enjoyed, with two pieces ultimately being selected for micro-grants based on the number of votes received. The artists behind these chosen pieces will receive a micro-grant of either $200.00 for second most votes, or $400.00 for most votes to further their artistic practices.

Each artist can submit up to three pieces. There is no charge to submit. All mediums will be accepted for this call.

Submissions must be completed digitally by June 24th via email, to gallery@cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com, with the subject line MANY HAPPY RETURNS. Selected artists will be notified by email 07/15/2026, selected artwork will be due at Cottonwood Center for the Arts 07/18 - 10am - 1:30pm or 07/21, 07/22 10am - 5:30pm.

please review submission guidelines at the bottom of this page

All submissions must contain the following:

All submissions must be made digitally to gallery@cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com

Clear, head-on, cropped image of the artwork from the front (Important: the works will be featured on Art at COS’ website using the image you provide).

Clear head-on image of the back of the work showing hanging hardware, all works must have either d-rings or eye hooks and a wire.

Dimensions of the work, including frame if applicable.

Title and medium of work.

Artist contact information.

Example:

Jane Artist
1234 Anyroad Drive
Smallorado Springs, CO, 12345
999-999-9999
jane.artist@email.com