The Art of Community

Local Support for Siskiyou Arts Museum…

The Siskiyou Art Museum in Dunsmuir is fairly nondescript from the outside, but once you enter the 101-year-old building, it’s like your perfect-fitting favorite clothes. It just feels right. The lighting is that balance that brings out the patina of the old wood floors and also lights the extraordinary works of regional art. The open floor plan is inviting and says come on in, there’s lots to see. The overall effect is it’s the kind of place where you can lose yourself in the world of art. The museum has two galleries, a large gift shop, a basement big enough for classes, a maker’s space where artists can work and an outdoor space behind the building where ideas for its use are spilling out faster than a tipped-over can of paint. 

Dunsmuir is acutely aware of the city’s attractive location and is actively pursuing a healthy growth trajectory with its Downtown Revitalization Plan. The Siskiyou Art Museum stands as a clear example of healthy growth. With Dunsmuir’s beautiful backdrop of Mt. Shasta to the north, Castle Crags to the south, the Pacific Crest Trail to the west and the Upper Sacramento River running through it, the city has a lot to work with. It is truly nature’s paradise. The city officially claims Dunsmuir to be the “Home of the Best Water on Earth.” 

Asking locals why they moved to Dunsmuir, the most common answer was, “I stopped here to visit and never left. Why would I?” Walking down the street, people smile and acknowledge each other. Being in Dunsmuir feels like stepping back to a kinder, gentler time. If the streets were lined with cars from the 1950s and 1960s they would not look out of place. You can feel yourself slowing down, shoulders relaxing, breathing a little easier. Maybe it’s that great water or the fresh mountain air or maybe that small-town welcoming vibe.

Ernie Wasson is the Siskiyou Art Museum’s board president and Lindsay Handley is the art curator, though it might be more fitting to refer to them as the dynamic duo. Under Wasson’s leadership, the board of directors (with Handley’s active participation) began a capital campaign to raise $250,000 to purchase the building that houses the museum. Peter Arth, the previous owner of the building, was retiring and gave the museum first crack at buying the building. “We put the word out, and a lot of individual artists stepped forward and gave us art to sell,” Wasson says. “The smaller donations added up and really spoke to how much local support we had. The Siskiyou Artists Association did a fund raiser. We also got support from local businesses, the Ford Family Foundation, The Driscoll Foundation as well as the Donor-Advised Funds. Many of those were contributions from people that live or used to live in Dunsmuir who wanted to help. Many of our contributions were anonymous. We have 215 members in a town of 1,700 people, and that plays an important role in keeping us going.” 

In January 2026, two and a half years after they began their capital campaign, they achieved their goal, bought the building and had enough money left over to replace the old roof and begin needed repairs. “I do think it’s really amazing that our little museum in little Dunsmuir raised $250,000 to buy the building,” Handley says. “That says a lot about our community and the respect for our artists. I’m really proud of that.” Wasson adds, “The fact that we bought the building means that we mean to be here, to stay here and be part of the downtown community.” 

Handley says the rear outdoor area could be another gallery, perhaps a sculpture garden, with murals on the outside walls or a place for music or gardening classes. Wasson adds, “Now that we own the building, we can get grants to support these types of things. We have a fabric dyeing class this summer and are using the space behind the museum to grow the plants that will be used to dye the fabric.”

Handley grew up in New York City; her mother owned an art gallery and framing shop. “I took an art class and remember the teacher talking about how important it is for students to call themselves artists,” she says. “By doing that, you’re believing in what you are. It really stuck with me. It’s a very powerful thing. People who propose a show already have their Identity as an artist. I really appreciate the high school show, because I feel like I can inspire these young people and that feels good. This year we’re doing a College of the Siskiyous student art show. That might be a place where they are more confident in their work and understand their work a little better and might be more influenced regarding their artistic future. These shows really support our museum’s mission of inspiring young people. For me, being able to do this feeds me, it really feeds my soul.”

The Siskiyou Art Museum is an anomaly in the world of nonprofits, particularly in the arts. With other nonprofits, the conversation often falls to budget cuts and staffing issues. With so much community support, the feeling is the community has rolled up its sleeves and is invested in the success of the museum. The gift shop features work from 85 artists, almost all from Dunsmuir or Mount Shasta. “I love where I live, I love the beauty around me, I love the community I live in,” Handley says. “I’m close enough to some urban areas where I can still get that buzz from being in a city.” 

With Handley’s creative input, Wasson’s business savvy, the support of a strong board and an engaged community, all things are possible. The team at the Siskiyou Art Museum is like the children’s classic, “The Little Engine that Could.” It started with “I think I can,” and now it’s over the top of the mountain and picking up speed. Keep an eye on the Dunsmuir art scene. We’ll be hearing more about them.•

Siskiyou Art Museum 
5824 Dunsmuir Ave., Dunsmuir
Hours:
Wednesday through Sunday: noon-4pm, 
second Saturdays: noon-7pm
Closed in January

Article Written by:
Writers use words to open doors to a bigger world, and Bruce Greenberg is honored by the trust people place in him to share their stories. Through his writing, he invites readers to explore the layers of diversity and experience that makes our community unique.