Overview
Forming as a non-profit in 2022, Shaniko Music Sanctuary raises funds for Oregon Music Education.
Shaniko Music Sanctuary (SMS) is dedicated to expanding access to music education in rural Oregon, with a focus on communities facing geographic isolation and limited arts infrastructure. We are supported by a growing network of local music educators, regional promoters, and independent rural arts advocates, and we intentionally share resources across counties to maximize impact through a unified regional approach.
SMS’s core services began as a direct outreach-and-response to locally identified needs, particularly for low-income and under-resourced populations. These efforts include donating instruments to the Southern Wasco County Library for free resident check-out, supplying fiddle bows to the Sisters Middle School Bluegrass program, and providing financial support to sustain the public school music program in Maupin.
In 2026, SMS is strategically expanding its scope with the launch of two new programs: a rotating Artist in Residence program in partnership with the Oregon Bluegrass Association (with grant funds from Oregon Community Foundation), and a multi-county arts visioning process facilitated by Rural Development Initiatives. These initiatives are designed to deepen engagement, strengthen coordination, and extend access to music education across Wasco, Wheeler, Sherman, and Gilliam Counties.
The Artist in Residence program advances SMS’s mission by underwriting professional artists to deliver sustained programming in rural schools, libraries, senior centers, and community events. This investment increases resident participation, reduces isolation in underserved populations, and builds lasting local capacity for arts access in communities where cultural opportunities are limited.
Community Partnerships & Collaboration
Shaniko Music Sanctuary serves as a connective hub within a broader statewide and regional arts network, translating shared data, planning, and partnerships into improved outcomes for rural residents. SMS Executive Director Pam Brown sits on the Board of Directors of the Oregon Bluegrass Association (OBA), a statewide organization dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and performance of bluegrass and related music. Through this role, SMS works alongside OBA to recommend strategic regional investments that expand access to music education, instruments, and performance opportunities in underserved rural areas.
An online survey produced by OBA found that 42% of Oregon bluegrass musicians began playing because someone in their household played an instrument, and 26% were introduced to music through attending festivals. SMS applies these findings by increasing instrument access for young people and supporting family-friendly, community-based music events that create early, low-barrier entry points into music participation for rural youth.
Pam Brown also serves on Travel Oregon’s Destination Management Studio Steering Committee alongside residents from Shaniko, Maupin, Antelope, and Tygh Valley. This regional planning effort has identified arts and culture as an emergent lure for development, while South Wasco Alliance’s Familiarization Tours have elevated local priorities to state and regional leaders. Together, these partnerships allow SMS to align cultural investment with rural-centered outcomes—strengthening music education pipelines, supporting student engagement, and creating sustained opportunities for underserved communities with limited arts infrastructure.
South Wasco Director of Music thanks Shaniko Music Sanctuary for its impactful donation to the public school music program
Key Initiatives
Engage the Community
Bringing people together to learn, play, and enjoy music fosters a sense of community. Giving performers an opportunity get to know the local residents by hosting classes & letting loose in jams is a community staple – it really builds on the understanding that everyone is welcome, regardless of skillset or age or background.
Include Immersive Experiences
Workshops provide learning experiences for musicians of all skill levels, keeping traditional music alive. Open jam sessions allow musicians to connect, learn, and create spontaneous music together. A mix of well-known and emerging artists make Central Oregon an exciting hub for bluegrass enthusiasts.
Highlight Local Cities through Events
A successful music scene will build on Central Oregon’s reputation as a destination. Scheduling local music events encourages people to explore rural Oregon, increasing exposure to the region. It’s common for bluegrass-ers to attend festivals with their spouse and kids who are often seeking out additional entertainment, of which Central Oregon has a-plenty
Stimulate an All-Ages Atmosphere
Bluegrass doesn’t care what year you were born. A trad-grass jam is truely special in that it really does provide inclusivity to all ages. Jam circles are often comprised of the old and young, alike, building a generational bridge in the community.
Strengthen the Bluegrass Scene
There is an undeniable bluegrass community of listeners and pickers in the state of Oregon area. There is high-demand for local bluegrass with prime opportunity to fill a hole in the market. Bluegrass is blooming in Portland and Northern California, and Central Oregon is perfectly placed to celebrate and preserve the tradition.
Our Story
Built on the Vision: Bringing Music to Underserved Communities.
Executive Director, Pam Brown holds a Music Education degree from the University of Florida, and began studying flute at a young age.
Upon entering the public school system as a K-12 music educator, Pam quickly realized there was a severe lack of funding for music programs.
She taught for a decade, often without text books for music appreciation classes, without support for band kids who couldn’t afford instruments, and without any stipend for basic classroom supplies.
Shaniko Music Sanctuary was founded to address these barriers faced by underserved communities, and to move toward supporting music teachers, students, and the arts — and to create lifelong learners.