Walter Cuchine

In 1979, Mr. Walter Cuchine graduated with honors from Sierra Nevada College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science. For the next four years he worked in Hawthorne and Eureka as an environmental scientist while his interest in Nevada history flourished.

From 1983 to 1987 Mr. Cuchine served as a Humanist-in-Residence throughout rural Nevada at the Library in Hawthorne, the Churchill County Museum, and later as a Humanist in Schools in Lovelock and Lincoln County.

In 1987 he became a Humanist-in-Residence for the White Pine County Museum in Ely. As a Humanist-in-Residence, sponsored by the Nevada Humanities Committee, Mr. Cuchine helped both to preserve and to celebrate the history of Hawthorne, Lovelock, Ely, Fallon, and Lincoln County. This experience allowed him to assume a central position in rural Nevada, and from 1991 to 1993, he served as the Director of the Bristlecone Convention Center in Ely. Through his work with the Rural Presenters Network, the Nevada Commission on Tourism, and other cultural institutions, Mr. Cuchine has helped foster the arts and humanities in Nevada’s vast hinterland.

From 1993 to present, Mr. Cuchine has served as the Facilities Director for Eureka County and is responsible for programs at the Eureka Opera House and the Eureka Sentinel Museum. In this capacity Mr. Cuchine has made the Eureka Opera House a vibrant cultural center. His efforts to increase cultural tourism have encouraged countless groups to visit Eureka and he is considered one of Nevada’s best tour guides.

Mr. Cuchine is also one of the leading collectors of contemporary Nevada art and the owner of a Nevada-oriented book collection that would be the envy on any library. During the summer of 2005, an exhibit at the Nevada Historical Society showcasing his extensive art collection set all attendance records at the society. As a Nevada Humanities board member, he has been a diligent advocate for the cultural needs of rural Nevada.