GLEAN 2026/27

GLEAN is a juried art program that taps into the creativity of artists from the Portland area to inspire people to think about their consumption habits, the waste they generate, and the resources they throw away. The five-month GLEAN Program invites artists to push the boundaries of material exploration. With a $3,000 stipend to support their practice and seemingly endless materials to work with, artists are encouraged to translate their existing studio practice with the challenge of making work with discovered discarded materials from the Metro Central Transfer Station (aka, "the dump”). The program culminates in a formal exhibition where artists receive 80% commission from the sale of their art.

GLEAN is a juried program that gives five selected artists from the Portland area (Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties) access to the Metro Central transfer station (“the dump”) to glean materials to use to create art. 

The GLEAN program will provide studio visits, marketing support, a stipend of $3,000, group critiques with GLEAN artists and partners, and help you work through your creative practice, culminating in an exhibition. 

Residents and businesses in the Portland area generate more than 2.4 million tons of waste every year. While we can be proud that we recycle and compost a significant amount, there is an opportunity to do better. GLEAN taps into the creativity of artists to inspire people to think about their consumption habits, the waste they generate, and the resources they throw away. 

We reserve one residency position for a student currently enrolled in an art program at a local college or university. Student applications will be considered separately from other artist applications. GLEAN seeks to hear from artists with a broad range of experiences and perspectives from the many communities in the Portland area. We encourage artists working in a variety of media to apply. You can learn more about past GLEAN artists on our website. 

GLEAN is a partnership between Recology, an employee-owned integrated resource recovery and recycling company; Metro, the regional government that manages the Portland area’s garbage and recycling system; and ReClaim It, an environmental arts non-profit.

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BACK FOR A THIRD YEAR!

This special round of GLEAN offers an exciting craft-focused opportunity. Thanks to the generosity of Rainmaker Craft Initiative, one of the five artists will be selected for the exceptional level of craft in their portfolio. This initiative aims to support and highlight craft-based artists/makers in the Portland metropolitan area. Rainmaker Craft Initiative is an educational platform committed to creative inquiry founded on Craft. For this opportunity, “craft” is defined as an exceptional level of skill and experimentation with materials.

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PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Five artists will have the opportunity to glean materials from the Metro Central transfer station for the five months of the program's duration. Each artist will be required to create a minimum of eight pieces available for sale at the exhibition. Ninety-five percent of each piece must be made from materials gleaned from the transfer station. Each artist will be paid a $3,000 stipend upon successfully completing the program. Each artist will receive 80% commission from the sale of their art at the exhibition. Applicants must be residents of Multnomah, Washington, or Clackamas County. Recology will retain one piece from each artist for its permanent collection; Metro will retain one piece from each artist to be publicly displayed for two years. Please note that these pieces are not purchased. Artists are required to sign an artist agreement and attend a safety training before gleaning. Artists must be available for monthly check-ins. Studio space is not provided. 

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2026/7 IMPORTANT PROGRAM DATES

• Sunday, September 13, 2026: Deadline for artist applications at 11:59 PM PDT. Late submissions will not be accepted. 

• Tuesday, November 3, 2026: On-Site Safety Training and Orientation (required)

• November 2026 – March 2027: Gleaning Residency Dates

• April/May 2027: Exhibition

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COVID-19 

The safety of our artists is of the utmost importance to us. For this round, artists will glean materials at the Transfer Station with the understanding that, should COVID-19 levels increase to an extreme level or a similar outbreak occur, artists may be asked to stop on-site gleaning. If this happens, artists would instead “GLEAN-in-place” which would entail using materials that you have on hand at home. We don't anticipate this, but it is worth noting. We know that access to the transfer station is a big perk of the residency, and we will work with you to make sure you are able to access that space safely.

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*The image above shows work by Hyun Jung Jung, 2026, photo by Mario Gallucci

Applicants must submit:

• Work Samples
• Bio
• CV/Resume
• Proposal
• Questionnaire

Applicants must be residents of Multnomah, Washington, or Clackamas county.