Tuscarora Pottery School

In 1962, a Washington D.C.-based potter named Dennis Parks stopped in Tuscarora during a cross country road trip. He had heard about the remote Nevada community—located an hour north of Elko—from a friend who had recommended it as the perfect artist retreat. Parks fell in love with all of it and resolved that this wouldn’t just be where he’d go to escape the city.

Parks decided to trial a summer program for his dream pottery school in 1966. The 30-year-old teacher arrived in Tuscarora with his wife, Julie, and some friends, and the group got to work. Cash-strapped and without supplies, they turned to the town and its surrounding landscape for material. A carriage shop became the studio, abandoned mills provided bricks for firing, and ancient mine tailings were harvested for clay.

The first program was a massive success and attracted seven students for a few weeks. In 1969, Parks expanded the school to a 9-week program that could accommodate 14 students. As the years went on, students became instructors, and a new generation of potters studied under Parks. During the off-season, the school became a retreat for professional artists and teachers.

Parks passed in 2021, and while the school continues on, everybody can agree that things are different.

“We call it a beautiful burden,” says artist Elaine Parks, Dennis’ former daughter-in-law.

She, like other instructors, does not live in Tuscarora but instead makes the long commute when school is in session. Indeed, everybody who participates in the school takes time out of their careers and lives to keep Parks’ dream alive.

Despite the loss of the school’s figurehead, classes continue. Students make the pilgrimage, including an entire high school art class from Idaho that camps out for a week. The school still has dedicated instructors and high-quality sessions.

If the school is to continue, a new generation will need to inherit the responsibility. Maybe some of them will call Tuscarora their new home: With only one year-round resident, the town is smaller than it has ever been.

“At this point, we’re hoping to get somebody who could live here at least six months out of the year. Someone who is a ceramist and knows how to work on the equipment and tools. Someone who’s kind of handy and can maintain the old boarding house,” says Elaine.

Visit Today

Stop in town to take a walk along its decaying street grid and then wander down to the cemetery. Or hike up the hill to the big chimney to enjoy the breathtaking view. While you’re at it, mail a letter. The only business in town is a functioning post office—staffed daily—that services the ranches spread out across the valley.

And, of course, stop by the school. Someone might be available to show off the historic boarding house or the studio. There is also a gallery/gift shop that offers a beautiful pottery collection created by instructors and friends of the school. You can find branded apparel, books, and your very own honey bear sticker (ask them about that) as well. You might also get a tour of the 1878 tavern-turned-community center, which is packed with exhibits and relics that tell the town’s story.