The de Saisset family's connection to Santa Clara University ran deep. Ernest had attended the Jesuit institution before pursuing art studies. When his sister Isabel de Saisset decided to honor his memory, she chose the campus as the natural home for both his paintings and the museum that would house them. The original building was modest, but subsequent expansions have transformed it into a significant regional museum with gallery space, climate-controlled storage for its permanent collection, and facilities for traveling exhibitions.

The museum's permanent collection bridges the gap between Santa Clara's mission heritage and its present as a university in the heart of Silicon Valley. California mission-era artifacts, including items from Mission Santa Clara de Asis, which the university campus surrounds, share space with contemporary art installations and works from the university's growing collection. The museum hosts rotating exhibitions that range from faculty and student art shows to nationally touring exhibitions, giving the campus community and the public access to art that might otherwise require a trip to San Francisco or San Jose's own museums.

Like many university museums, the de Saisset charges no admission, making it accessible to anyone who walks onto the Santa Clara campus. The museum serves as both an educational resource for the university and a public cultural amenity for the city of Santa Clara and the surrounding communities. Its collection of Ernest de Saisset's paintings remains on display, a permanent reminder of the young artist whose early death prompted his sister to create a gift that has served the public for more than six decades.