Celeste Johnson: Artist in Residence
In October of 2025, the Oregon Bluegrass Association received a $10,000 grant from Oregon Community Foundation (in partnership with Shaniko Music Sanctuary) to bring bluegrass artists to rural Oregon -- offering artists time & space to create, and also in-turn, bringing music to low-income residents. Celeste shares her experience, below, of her week in Shaniko, Oregon.
Written by Celeste Johnson:
When I got the chance to be an artist in residence in the historic town of Shaniko, OR, my mind began to race with ideas of potential projects. I was thrilled for the chance to work on things I’d been dreaming of for a long time. In my day-to-day life, it’s often hard to find time for those “dream” projects. The chance to spend eight days in a tiny town, with lots of space and time to work on those dreams, felt like winning the lottery.
As a fiddler and longtime music educator, I wanted to use part of this residency to develop new educational materials for young string students. When I teach fiddle lessons at home in Portland and online, I’m always brainstorming tools and games that will inspire a love of the instrument and create lightbulb moments for my students. This residency gave me the opportunity to bring one of my bigger ideas to life and create a fingerboard education tool that I can’t wait to share with young string students in Bluegrass and beyond. (Stay tuned! Literally and figuratively, please.)
Another dream bubbled to the surface when I was figuring out the best way to use my time in Shaniko—songwriting. Having spent most of my musical career focused on traditional fiddle styles, I’m relatively new to songwriting. This year, I’m working toward recording a debut album with my good friend and musical collaborator, guitarist Joe Pomianek. We aim for most of the album to be original material. Although I’ve recorded on other people’s projects, this will be the first time I’ve recorded my own. I’m so excited to say that, during my stay here in Shaniko, I’ve written many of the tracks that I hope to put on the final album.
The peaceful desert backdrop, gentle pace of life, and rich history of this little central-Oregon community have proven to be great gifts during my time here. The town is full of history you can see: a majestic hotel that used to be a bank (complete with old-timey safe), the tiny little chapel that leans to the left, and vintage cars strewn throughout the streets, some of which have probably been there for decades. The quiet days and rural beauty offered ample inspiration and provided the perfect backdrop for creative work.
I would be remiss not to mention the warmth, generosity, and kindness of Shaniko’s residents, too. One warm summer night during my stay here, as we jammed outside, a local listener sang Tennessee Waltz with us before wiping a few tears away. In moments like that, I’m reminded what a privilege and a joy it is to connect with people through music and see the many ways it makes us more human, brings us into the present moment, and draws us together. I’m so grateful to the OBA and the Oregon Community Foundation for facilitating those connections and supporting new creative work throughout rural Oregon.
