PUSHING
PULLING
Artists fi nd success during
residency
BY EMILY LINDBLOM
Two local painters, Morrison Pierce and
Oscar Nelson, enjoyed having the space to
work on large-scale pieces while advancing
in their careers during the Fall 2019 Astoria
Visual Arts artist-in-residence program.
The residency included studio space in
the Astoria Studio Collective from Sep-
tember through December. Pierce and Nel-
son were tasked with creating new art and
showing it during four art walks. Each piece
of art had to be priced and staged, and the
artists had to create an artist statement and
an email list.
“I feel like I’ve gone through a miniature
art school, being in that pressure cooker and
having expectations and people looking for
production,” Nelson said. “It wasn’t always
easy, but going through the process was
invaluable.”
Back to the roots
Nelson grew up in Astoria, left to get a
business degree from Oregon State Univer-
sity and returned to start a chain of cannabis
dispensaries with business partners.
“In March 2017, I got a wild hair to start
oil painting,” he said.
See Page 11
‘…THE RESIDENCY’S
SPACE AND SUPPORT
WAS REALLY AMAZING
AND BROUGHT OUT
A WHOLE DIFFERENT
DYNAMIC TO ART.’
The residency included studio space
at the Astoria Studio Collective.
10 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Oscar Nelson
The residency gave Oscar Nelson a chance to
work with pen and watercolor.