In my role as Executive Director at Methow Arts, I was a founding member, spokesperson, and fundraiser working with an extraordinary team that led the visioning, purchase, and planning for a 6.5-acre Forest Service Complex located in the heart of the Methow Valley in Washington State. The property, built in 1932, had 13 buildings including three Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) structures built during the Great Depression, and was decommissioned after serving for almost 90 years as a Ranger Station.

Working with local, regional, and national partners, including the Town of Twisp, the Okanogan County Economic Alliance, the Colville Confederated Tribes, and many others, we conducted a thorough assessment of the property, and engaged a broad-based community visioning process.

We successfully purchased the property in 2009 through a successful bid of $1,000,000 in an online governmental auction. Since then, a dedicated group of people has developed the property into a vibrant community hub, bringing those early dreams to life in a way that it truly remarkable.

The project was named TwispWorks, as a way to honor the historic work ethic present in the area and on the site. Another option was Twispopolis. Do you think we got it right?