Coast Oregon Artists Residency : Full Prospectus
A partnership between Recology Western Oregon and Astoria Visual Arts
Recology Western Oregon (RWO) and Astoria Visual Arts (AVA) are pleased to announce the eighth round of the Coastal Oregon Artist Residency. Through this program Recology and AVA support the creation of art from recycled, repurposed and discarded materials recovered from the Recology Astoria Recycling Depot and Transfer Station. The Residency provides two selected artists with access to discarded materials, a stipend of $1,000 per month for 4 months, studio space at Recology’s Warrenton-based facility and, at the close of the residency, a public exhibition in Astoria.
The two four-month residencies will commence on June 1 and end on September 30, 2025.
During the residency, artists have scavenging privileges at the Astoria Transfer Station during regular business hours and access to a studio space at Recology’s Warrenton office. Recology encourages artists to spend roughly 20 hours per week working on art projects for the residency. At the conclusion of the residency, Recology and AVA will host a reception and public exhibition featuring artwork made during the program. Each artist also contributes one piece of artwork to Recology’s permanent collection.
Eligibility
Coastal Oregon Artists Residency is open to local, career-level artists living in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook Counties in Oregon, and Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties in Washington. Artists working in any media are encouraged to apply, however, strong candidates work samples will include reclaimed materials. Previous residency participants are not eligible to apply.
Orientation
The selected artists are required to attend an orientation and training session at the Astoria Transfer Station and Warrenton facility. Artists must observe proper safety precautions with respect to design, technical construction and materials in the creation of artwork, including precautions reasonably required or recommended by Recology personnel. Participating artists will exercise complete control over the creative process, and all creative ideas and expressions will originate from the artists. However, Recology and AVA reserve the right to reject artwork that is offensive or unacceptable for display to the general public. Such material may include but is not limited to:
1. Overtly pornographic or libelous content,
2. Overtly offensive religious or political content, and
3. Content that includes any personally identifiable information.
Application Process
Applicants are asked to submit the following materials:
1. Contact information: Name, address, telephone number, email address
2. Website address, if available
3. Resume or C.V.
4. An essay that addresses the following:
a. Artist’s Statement
b. Statement of Purpose. Please describe what you plan to work on during the residency and how you will incorporate recycled materials. Additionally, please answer the following questions:
i. What encouraged you to apply for this residency?
ii. What medium do you generally work in?
iii. What types of tools do you generally work with?
5. Four samples of past work. Please submit high quality JPEG or similar format. Use DropBox or similar link if images are too large to attach to email.
6. Contact information (phone numbers and email addresses) for two references that can speak to your artistic practice.
All application materials must be submitted electronically to rwoeducationandoutreach@recology.com, with the subject heading “COAR Application.” Paper applications will not be accepted.
Nota Bene: Artists interested in collaborating on a project must submit individual applications and appropriate work samples, along with a joint description of the work they intend to do at the Residency. An example of a previous collaborative work (either completed or in progress) may also be submitted. Admission status is determined by averaging the individual application scores of all collaborators.
Selection of Artists
Our Selection Committee, composed of past COAR participants, Recology staff, AVA staff and/or Board members, arts professionals, and environmentalists, review application packets and select two finalists to participate in the program.
The Committee evaluates submissions based on the artists’ demonstrated commitment to resource conservation and recycling through art, the quality of previous work, and the artist’s application and references.
Important Dates
Application period opens – February 15, 2025
Submission deadline – May 11, 2025
Candidate Interviews – TBA
Notification of acceptance – May 25, 2024
Orientation – May 26 - 30, 2025
Residencies start date: June 1, 2025
Residencies end date: September 30, 2025
Exhibition date: October 11 - November 2, 2025
Contact Information
Questions? Contact us at rwoeducationandoutreach@recology.com
Recology is an employee-owned company that provides integrated services to more than 889,000 residential customers and 112,000 commercial customers in California, Oregon, and Washington. The Recology mission represents a fundamental shift from traditional waste management to resource recovery. Our vision at Recology is to create a world without waste by developing and discovering sustainable resource recovery practices that can be implemented globally.
Astoria Visual Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides opportunities for all ages and walks of life to engage with the arts.
