My Turn – TwispWorks’ evolution continues, bumps and all
ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN METHOW VALLEY NEWS ON MAY 14, 2026.
BY RAY JOHNSTON
When the old U.S. Forest Service complex in Twisp was surplused, an ad hoc group of citizens formed a committee to consider what to do. Through a generous donor, this group became a nonprofit and succeeded in acquiring the property. Heated discussions ensued. Should it be a trade school, an arts center, an entertainment venue, a place for start-up businesses, or something else?
After many hours of discussion, outreach and hard work, culminating in a “charrette” attended by 80 people, a direction was set that is clear today: All of the above!
This is from the TwispWorks website: “TwispWorks is a place and a purpose. Since 2009, we’ve been a hub for creativity, commerce, and connection — supporting the cultural and economic vitality of the Methow Valley. Our vision: a thriving local economy, rooted in livability and shaped by the people who call this place home.”
TwispWorks is so many things. It is the living room for our hometown family. Like with any family, there are ups and downs. Emotions have, now and then, run high.
For example, discussions during the charette about what TwispWorks should become were so heated that they nearly caused a fist fight! The conflict was resolved and the event ended with eight well-considered visions of the future of TwispWorks. What you see today is an amalgam and evolution from those eight solutions.
Making TwispWorks what it is today was an arduous task. The first executive directors spent almost more time fixing plumbing than building a culture. Between making emergency repairs and fixing the aging infrastructure, they soothed egos, promoted collaboration and forged the foundations for the culture that exists now. They handed off a functioning campus and an emerging culture to subsequent directors who refined the economic equation, further enhanced the campus and put in place a broad range of best practices, while polishing the balance of economic development, creativity, and campus development.
TwispWorks has found a place on local, regional, national and even international stages. It is a remarkable organization and has become part of the DNA of Twisp and the Methow Valley.
The TwispWorks family
Throughout this evolution a structure emerged composed of a staff, a board, partners, and the site itself. The partners at TwispWorks represent the variety of pursuits implied by the mission statement above. There are educators, manufacturers, shops, a bakery, a food truck and a brewery, but there are also exceptional artists, business folks, craftspeople and performers.
The “family” that occupies TwispWorks is large and complex. Like any family, this one also must balance its budget, handle environmental challenges, maintain its 46,000-square foot home and nurture the culture of Twisp. Whew!
This juggling contributed to the challenges that Twispworks is facing now. Signals get crossed and communication breaks down. Elements of the mission and vision can get lost or minimalized. Changes in leadership and leadership style and a precarious economy have added an air of unease.
In recent weeks, the members of the TwispWorks family have felt the full force of this complicated situation. Misunderstandings surfaced and conflicts spilled into the larger community.
While hearing about some of this, I found myself remembering a talk by one of our first executive directors after a similar episode over a decade ago. She reminded us of an important axiom: “Assume good intent.”
Having seen a few previously crossed signals, I recognize this as a natural part of being a multi-faceted organization like TwispWorks. It comes with the territory. So does the imperative to solve problems in a manner that is kind, positive, and that re-centers TwispWorks on its amazing path. This is not the first crux and it won’t be the last. For my part, I will “assume good intent” and assist the TwispWorks family to continue to ride, as Bernard Hosie said “…a rocket to the moon…!”
Ray Johnston, a principal in Johnston Architects, was the founding chair of the TwispWorks PDA and was TwispWorks board chair from 2008 to 2020.