Coastal Oregon Artist Residency 2026

Congrats Midori Hirose and Slayer Rowan, selected for this year's Coastal Oregon Artist Residency!

Recology Western Oregon and Astoria Visual Arts are thrilled to announce the newest award winners for the Coastal Oregon Artist Residency, Midori Hirose and Slayer Rowan. Each artist will receive a monthly stipend, materials, and a studio space at Recology Western Oregon’s Astoria Recycling Depot and Transfer Station for a four-month long residency beginning June 1, 2026. A public exhibition will showcase the artists’ creations at the end of the residency to be held at the AVA in October.

Midori Hirose is an interdisciplinary artist newly rooted in Astoria with an extensive background as a professional artist and community organizer. Her practice revolves around reclaiming and reimagining discarded materials, transforming them into sculptural works that invite new narratives about place, history, and transformation. Hirose is “excited for the opportunity to explore the region’s unique material landscape and contribute to its creative community.” 

Slayer Rowan is also relatively new to the Astoria area, describing the residency opportunity as a dream come true. Sculpture has remained a constant thread throughout his life and creative practice. He works in many mediums and is fueled by a deep curiosity and eagerness to learn new skills and techniques. Most recently, Slayer earned his welding certification through Clatsop Community College, expanding the possibilities for his art-making practice. “As an artist of many disciplines, I am very excited to have access to such a wide variety of materials, I plan on pushing my skills and am enthusiastic to see what unique pieces come together for me.”

This is the ninth round of the Coastal Oregon Artist Residency (COAR), which was developed collaboratively by Recology Western Oregon, an employee-owned company that manages resource recovery facilities on the North Coast, and Astoria Visual Arts AVA. Astoria’s residency is a part of a larger program that was founded in 1990 and based in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. COAR is designed to support the creation of art from recycled, repurposed and discarded materials. By supporting artists who work with recycled materials, Recology and AVA encourage people to conserve natural resources and promote new ways of thinking about art and the environment.