Local FIFA World Cup matches kicked off this week and with it so has the “Beautiful Things” exhibit at Occidental Fine Arts Center in Pioneer Square’s Occidental Mall.

The exhibit opens on Wednesday featuring antiques and artifacts up to over 100 years old, as well as new works produced by the Seattle Prize Fellowship artists. The exhibit is the centerpiece to the Summer of Awe — a citywide art & cultural experience presented by Conur Art Foundation — is, in actuality, two unforgettable cultural experiences located on the secondfloor of Occidental Fine Arts Center in Pioneer Square.

The exhibit will be open Wednesdays-Sundays until August 15. Guests can register online for the guided tours supported by clips narrated by fictional characters, starting every 30 minutes from noon to 4:30 pm. Walk-ins are also welcomed, however, priority will be given to registered guests.

The tour begins with an exploration to the mechanical marvels used by residents from Seattle’s storied past with over 400 historical artifacts brought to life in a fascinating mix of art, history, and technology centered on Seattle’s first hundred years. The Conru Art Foundation's founder, Andrew Conru, personally curated the collection and built a digital “time machine” that pairs these objects with archival images, colorized scenes, and short videos. The result is a rare chance to see the old city, and the everyday ingenuity of the people who lived here before us. Through new technology, old Seattle is brought back to life. You are transported into what life felt like long ago.

Prior to stepping back to present day Seattle, guest will stand before the Wall of Awe—featuring nineteenth-century dog and cat portraits, painted with love. If you like pets, you will love this display.

The second half of the tour ushers visitors back to present day Seattle. An opportunity to discover a stunning collection of recent works created by the Seattle Prize Fellows and Love Portrait artists — every one of them a "Beatutiful Thing" in their own right. The Occidental Fine Arts Center opened its doors to the Fellows in 2025, providing artists from around the world with a place to create new works under the Conru Art Foundation’s Seattle Prize Fellowship Program. This exhibit showcases their work.

Much of the area around Lumen Field, hosting the FIFA World Cup matches, will be designated a pedestrian zone four hours before each local match and after the game until the area has been cleared. Local art galleries, including Occidental Fine Arts Center will be open before, during and after each match, in some cases during hours when they are usually closed.

The US hosts Australia on Friday at noon. Qatar plays Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday, June 24 at noon and Egypt plays Iran on Friday, June 26 at 8 pm. Expect especially high traffic during Friday’s US vs Australia match.

For a complete list of participating galleries go to the Alliance for Pioneer Square website.

To book a guided tour of Beautiful Things go https://occidentalfinearts.org/beautiful/tour/reserve