Steve Parks (Enterprise) is a bronze caster who came to the Wallowa Valley as a skilled tooler in the infancy of the local art bronze industry. Parks learned the “lost wax casting” process on the job, in a face-to-face setting. Now operator of Parks Bronze, Parks continues to pass down his knowledge and cultivate the occupation of bronze casting, now iconic to the region.
Bio
When Steve Parks started working at Maiden Bronze in Walla Walla, Washington, he didn’t expect the $3.50-an-hour gig to lead to his life’s work. After paying his dues doing manual labor—knocking off shells (excess pieces) from bronze castings and cleaning up—he got a turn at the tooler’s bench. Toolers at bronze foundries correct imperfections on the surface of bronze castings. They have to have an eye for artistic detail and a talent for handwork. “I just saw it,” Parks says about his first attempt at tooling. “I was able to match these little feathers on a bird belly. And when I showed them my work, they were ecstatic. They said, 'You're a tooler!'" Parks followed Maiden Bronze when the foundry relocated to Sandy, Oregon. Then, he stumbled into a unique opportunity in a small Wallowa Valley town called Joseph. “I heard about a fledgling foundry wanting to get started up here. And I decided to come check it out, and fell in love with the place.” Parks played a key role on the team that launched Valley Bronze, and helped establish Joseph as one of the go-to places for art bronze production. Three decades after the bronze business came to Joseph, it’s still going strong, attracting talent from around the country, and cultivating a community of specialized skilled workers. Parks now has his own operation, Parks Bronze, in Enterprise. Just down the street, his brother Tim runs TZ Bronze. Taking its place alongside cattle ranching and other agricultural work, bronze casting has emerged as an occupational experience that defines the region.
