Artists in Tigard, Tualatin, Bull Mountain and Durham have five weeks to apply for a paid residency that turns other people's trash into gallery-ready art.

Metro Regional Government's GLEAN program will select five artists from Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah counties to spend five months sorting through discarded materials at the Metro Central Transfer Station in Portland, then creating original artwork for a spring public exhibition, according to the Portland Tribune. Each artist receives a $3,000 stipend, and if the work sells, the artist keeps 80% of the commission.

Applications close Sunday, Sept. 13 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Because Tigard, Tualatin, Bull Mountain and Durham all sit within Washington County, local artists are directly eligible.

What the program requires

At least 95% of each finished piece must come from items found at the transfer station. Applicants submit work samples, a bio, a resume, a proposal and answers to a questionnaire through the Creative West opportunities portal.

A jury picks the five participants. One slot is reserved for a current student; another is chosen based on the artist's level of craft and portfolio.

A 16-year creative-reuse partnership

GLEAN launched in fall 2010 as a collaboration between Recology, Metro and Crackedpots, now known as ReClaim It, an environmental arts organization. The program was modeled after Recology San Francisco's Artist in Residence program.

Metro Councilor Christine Lewis said in a Metro news release published Aug. 8 that the experience changes how artists see waste: "They see the magnitude of it all firsthand, and they get to use their talents to showcase how much of what we throw away can actually be reused — whether through repair, donation or even art."

How to apply

The GLEAN program website has full details. The deadline is firm: Sunday, Sept. 13, 11:59 p.m. PDT.

The Metro Central Transfer Station, where selected artists will gather materials, is located at 6161 NW 61st Ave., Portland, and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.