The Artist in Residence Program has opened our call for artists for our first residency!
Submission Deadline: Sunday, May 18, 2025
Recology Western Oregon (RWO) and Arts Alliance of Yamhill County (AAYC) are pleased to announce the first annual Artist in Residence Program (AIR). RWO and AAYC aim to support the creation of art from recycled, repurposed, and discarded materials recovered from the Recology McMinnville Transfer Station and Recovery Zone. The Residency provides the two selected artists with access to discarded materials, a stipend of $1,000 per month, studio space at RWO’s McMinnville-based facility, and, at the close of the residency, a public exhibition in McMinnville.
By supporting artists who work with recycled materials, RWO and AAYC 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 Sunday, June 1, 2025, and end on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
During their residencies, artists have scavenging privileges at the McMinnville Transfer Station and access to a studio space within the transfer station. RWO anticipates artists to create between 8-12 pieces of art during their 4-month residency. At the conclusion of the residencies, RWO and AAYC 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.
Questions? Contact our Waste Zero Specialist.
- Eligibility
- Application Process
- Selection of Artists
- Important Dates
Recology Western Oregon AIR program is open to local artists living in Yamhill County, as well as Recology customers residing in Polk County, and The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, working in any style or medium.
Participating artists are required to attend an orientation and training session at the McMinnville transfer station and McMinnville 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 AAYC 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:
- Overtly pornographic or libelous content.
- Overtly offensive religious or political content.
- Content that includes any personally identifiable information.
Applicants are asked to submit the following materials through an online form:
- Contact information: name, address, telephone number, email address
- Website address, if available
- Resume or C.V.
- An essay that addresses the following:
- Artist’s Statement
- 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:
1. What encouraged you to apply for this residency?
2. What medium do you generally work in?
3. What types of tools do you generally work with?
5. Four samples of past work. Please submit high quality JPEG or similar format.
6. Contact information (phone numbers and email addresses) for two references that can speak to your artistic practice.
All application materials must be submitted through this form or emailed to kklienstuber@recology.com.
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.
Our Selection Committee, composed of RWO staff, AAYC staff and/or Board members, arts professionals, and environmentalists, review applications 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.
| Application period opens | Tuesday, February 18, 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Sunday, May 18, 2025 |
| Candidate Interviews | Thursday, May 22 & Friday, May 23, 2025 |
| Notification of acceptance | Friday, May 23, 2025 |
| Orientation | Monday, May 26, 2025 |
| Residencies start date | Sunday, June 1, 2025 |
| Residencies end date | Tuesday, September 30, 2025 |
| Exhibition date | TBD October 2025 |