Treasures of Cambridge #32 Treasures of Cambridge #32

Caroline S. Hooke pictured in front of the vault in the former Bean Head’s Coffee House, has lived in the Village of Cambridge for ten years.

Caroline explains that she has lived many places in her life: born in California, partially raised in Missouri, went to art school is NYC., where she met her husband, "my best friend in art school was his cousin."

"Then the war came along…it was a terrible thing." Her husband, Walter, a Marine, was getting ready to deploy. "We got married just before he went overseas." Thankfully, he came back in "terrific shape," but not after experiencing, "many problems over there," most notably the aftermath of the atomic bomb.

After the war the Hooke’s lived in various places out west and back east, mostly following her husband’s work. After a long stint in California, Walter wanted to move with their four children to the east coast to be closer to his childhood home and family.

They went to Shaftsbury, Vermont because their youngest daughter, who is deaf, got enrolled in the school for the deaf in Brattleboro, which was, "terrific for her. It was the best move we ever made!" After ten years in Vermont, they moved across the border to a wonderful log home in Shushan, and then as they aged they wanted to live in a town, so then moved into the Village of Cambridge.

For all but one year since it opened it’s doors, Caroline has been involved with the Valley Artisans Market on Main Street. Lately, she has had to cut back on her involvement in all the things she loves to do, so she decided to focus her energy on a gallery in Salem, "Arts 220" which just moved into a "great, big wonderful place right across the street from Steininger's Restaurant."

Caroline started her art career being a landscape painter, and still goes back to that, "every once in a while. But now I get more people involved now, being partly Native American, that influence shows up more and more in my art." An example of which can be seen in Caroline’s prop, which is a photograph of one of her more recent pieces.

"I painted a lot of landscapes out in California and the West, but when I came East, I found I just could not get the colors right, so I started developing other things." This change opened up in Caroline new avenues in her art as she brought in sculptural and collage elements to her work. Her native, Black Foot tribal roots is a part of her that she says, "I love to make pictures about."

Unfortunately, Caroline is recovering from a fall she took over a month ago. Everyone who knows and loves this remarkable woman, sends her much love and good wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.