Summer Introductions Part IV: K'aree Tsalagi
Meet K’aree, Alumni Artist Mentor
K’aree Tsalagi is an Aboriginal Indigenous American Artisan born and raised in Baltimore City. He is the Creative Director of Tsalagi, a Fashion House dedicated to creating styles for Aboriginal American Gender Fluid community. Tsalagi started shortly after he graduated from Baltimore City College in 2017. He graduated with a 4.3 GPA and the IB Diploma of the Visual Arts program. Advocate and Artivist in the Arts community standing up for the Indigenous peoples and all peoples alike in the world of human rights, fashion and art.
He started as a youth commissioner for Baltimore City and has taught Art in the Baltimore City Public School system partnering with the non-profit organization, Art With A Heart . He continued his involvement with being an advocate for the artist community by becoming the Studio Apprentice for The Baltimore Youth Arts, a non-profit organization supporting rehabilitated youth in art healing and youth creatives in entrepreneurship. He excelled at the program providing the staff with new innovative ways to appeal to the youth through arts and increasing sales in the products they offered.
He has been working in the communities of Baltimore City for 10 years now as an Artist, Activist and Leader of Youth Advocacy. His creative work represents the spiritual upliftment and empowerment of the Aboriginal American Indigenous culture, The Real People. His work explores the relationship between the spiritual realm and our relationship with textiles, cosmology, astronomy. Telling stories of strength, self preservation, and growth. Furthermore, he utilizes deconstruction and reconstruction of textiles to showcase how his culture influences the art, fashion and creative worlds today based on indigenous American astrology, cosmology and spiritual practices centuries ago.
In 2018 he was accepted into the BYA studio apprenticeship program which led him to learning and exploring his creative entrepreneurship career further. It gave him the opportunity to create new work, connect with a like minded creative community and build new skills. He decided it was time to give back to the community that has continuously inspired, supported and nurtured him into who he is today.
In 2022 he chose to come back to where it all started Baltimore Youth Arts as the first Alumni Artist Mentor which was a full circle moment for him. Being the first is an amazing opportunity to be able to share his experiences as an apprentice now being an alumni artist mentor. Building the relationship with BYA gave him the platform to share his story with you, guide them and inspire them along their creative entrepreneurial path.
For me, the future holds moving to Central America to study indigenous textiles made by Indigenous American peoples. His love for textiles was inspired by Indigenous American textile makers. Connecting with new artists in new places and creatives abroad to expand his creative business, new artwork on the horizons and a new intention behind making art that resonates with the Indigenous American culture.
Inspirational Quote: Make your life your art practice. Gratitude is like fuel for the spirit.