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Barbara Cook

Barbara Cook, a professional metalsmith and award-winning jewelry designer, has dedicated a significant portion of her life to humanitarian efforts and the preservation of traditional arts in Nepal. Her home in Weaverville, described as resembling a Buddhist monastery with intricate carvings, prayer wheels, Buddhist paintings, religious statues, and hand-carved doors, serves as a testament to her deep connection with the country. Cook spends five months of the year in Kathmandu, where she designs and creates jewelry and works on program development for the Nepal Traditional Handicraft Training Center. During the remainder of the year, she is in the United States, organizing gallery shows for traditional Nepalese art and inviting home builders and interior decorators to view pieces imported through Himalayan Stone and Wood Carving, a company she established with Nepali artisans. Cook's journey to this calling began in 1989 when she embarked on an extended trip through Asia and the Middle East. Her travels were interrupted by the first war in Iraq, leading her back to India, where she found herself assisting a doctor at Mother Teresa’s leprosy center, translating German-labeled medications. This experience shifted her perspective from tourist to humanitarian. She subsequently returned to Nepal and became involved with Educate the Children (ETC), an organization that initially connected children with sponsors and later expanded its focus to community development, encompassing education, agriculture, and women's economic empowerment through micro-credit loans. ETC has since grown into a highly respected non-governmental organization in Nepal. In 2004, Cook collaborated with Global Family Village, an organization that aims to transform traditional institutionalized orphanages into more family-like environments by housing children in groups with surrogate mothers. Cook emphasizes her role in connecting visitors to Nepal with local NGOs, enabling them to make a difference in the lives of the Nepalese people. As an artist herself, Cook observed the decline of indigenous crafts due to a lack of interest among younger generations in learning traditional art forms. In response, she played a crucial role in the revival of the Nepal Traditional Handicraft Training Center in 2006, working with Nepal’s leading artists. Her long-term vision for the center is to establish a permanent facility where artists can live cooperatively, share knowledge, build a resource library, and foster community. Cook highlights the historical lack of recognition for Nepali artists, who were often considered laborers for palaces and temples and whose works were not signed. She notes that current dealers often discourage artists from signing their pieces to prevent direct client-artist relationships. Cook aims to bridge the gap between artists and buyers, ensuring artists receive a more equitable share of the profits from their work. To achieve this, she organizes Nepalese art exhibits in the United States, often bringing the artists themselves to the openings. These efforts contribute to the international art scene's understanding and appreciation of traditional Nepali styles and artists. Despite also selling her own jewelry in the U.S. art show circuit, Cook remains committed to her work in Nepal, deeply moved by the kindness and generosity of its people. #BarbaraCook #Nepal #HumanitarianWork #TraditionalArts #JewelryDesign #HandicraftTraining #NGOs #EducateTheChildren #GlobalFamilyVillage #ArtExhibits #Weaverville #BarbaraCook #Nepal #HumanitarianWork #TraditionalArts #JewelryDesign #HandicraftTraining #NGOs #EducateTheChildren #GlobalFamilyVillage #ArtExhibits #Weaverville

100 months ago

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