Charles Cross will spend three weeks in Oysterville.  Cross is the author of five books, including Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix and Heavier Than Heaven: The Biography of Kurt Cobain, a New York Times-bestseller and  “one of the most moving and revealing books ever written about a rock star,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Cross plans to work on his memoir about childhood, innocence, and becoming a man.  The book is primarily about his son, but also about the changes that have come to him through parenthood.  Cross’s other books include the national bestseller Backstreets: Springsteen, the Man and His Music; Led Zeppelin: Heaven and Hell; and Nevermind: The Classic Album.

During his month in Oysterville, Spike Mafford plans to work on a two collaborative projects. One body of work is part of what Mafford calls his “Braille series.”  He gives photographs to poets and writers and their interpretation of the work is Brailled onto the prints. The second project is a collaboration with Mafford’s father, the well-known Northwest painter and printmaker Mike Spafford.  They are working on a series called “12 Labors of Hercules,” which began in Greece. Mafford is now creating images from around the state of Washington; his father is working on woodblock prints, drawings and paintings which will be superimposed over the images Spike prints.Mafford was born in Mexico City. He has exhibited his photographs in group and solo shows in Mexico and in Seattle.

Shirley Scheier came prepared with two different projects—one outdoor and one indoor depending on weather.  The outdoor project revolves around water—an ongoing theme in Scheier’s work and life. “I was particularly interested in this area because of the three bodies of water that come together here. I hope that being in Oysterville and on the Long Beach peninsula will provide new energy and new ideas.” Scheier also brought along sketches and drawings,  “incomplete thoughts” that she will work on developing     further during her time in Oysterville. Scheier has taught at the University of Washington since 1986. She is actively engaged with graduate students working within the print medium and has a lively undergraduate printmaking program. Her work is in numerous public collections and is represented by the Esther Claypool Gallery in Seattle.