Coast Oregon Artists Residency ::: Full Prospectus

A partnership between Recology Western Oregon and AVA.

Recology Western Oregon (RWO) and Astoria Visual Arts (AVA) are pleased to announce the sixth round of the Coastal Oregon Artist Residency Program. RWO and AVA aim to support the creation of art from recycled, repurposed and discarded materials recovered from the Recology Astoria Recycling Depot and Transfer Station. The Residency provides the two selected artists with access to discarded materials, a stipend of $1,000 per month, studio space at RWO’s Warrenton-based facility and, at the close of the residency, a public exhibition in Astoria.  

By supporting artists who work with recycled materials, RWO and AVA hope to encourage the public to conserve natural resources and promote new ways of thinking about art and the environment. Two four-month residencies will commence on Saturday June 1, 2024 and end on Monday, September 30, 2024.  

During their residencies, artists have scavenging privileges at the Astoria Transfer Station and access to a studio space at RWO’s Warrenton office. RWO encourages artists to spend roughly 20 hours per week to complete expected art projects. At the conclusion of the residencies, RWO and AVA will host a reception and public exhibition featuring artwork made during the program. Each artist also contributes one piece of artwork to RWO’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, who are working in any style or medium. Previous COAR participants are not eligible to apply.  

Participating artists are required to attend an orientation and training session at the Astoria  transfer station and Warrenton facility and observe proper safety precautions with respect to  design, technical construction and materials in the creation of artwork, including precautions reasonably required or recommended by RWO personnel. Participating artists will exercise complete control over the creative process, and all creative ideas and expressions will originate from the artists. However, RWO 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, RWO 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 – Thursday February 1, 2024 

Submission deadline –Tuesday April 30, 2024 

Candidate Interviews – Monday May 6, 2024 - Thursday May 9, 2024 

Notification of acceptance – Friday May 10, 2024 

Orientation – Friday May 24, 2024 

Residencies start date: Saturday June 1, 2024 

Residencies end date: Monday September 30, 2024 

Exhibition date: Saturday, October 13, 2024 

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 customersin 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 seeks to place the arts at the center of a changing rural community and economy by supporting artists, encouraging artistic opportunity and diversity, and serving as an artistic hub of cooperation, education and information-sharing.www.astoriavisualarts.org.