Meet Tamara Barnabei | Creator and Curator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tamara Barnabei and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tamara, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
My business idea originated from a desire to speak positively and beautifully about my homeland, Venezuela. Through the creation of Arttepuy, I realized the potential to spread a positive message about our Latin culture through art.

I am a Venezuelan who emigrated to this country 20 years ago to the beautiful and multicultural city of Washington DC. The idea of Arttepuy primarily arose from the need I felt to highlight the positive aspects of my homeland, rather than just the negative news that had pushed me to emigrate. In seeking to highlight the positivity of Venezuela, I found through art the perfect way to showcase the beauty of my culture and to help many artisans in great economic need, many of whom were in forgotten situations.

Since I was young, I had encounters with Aboriginal communities in my country. The Warao culture and all it encompasses was one of my driving forces. They led me to understand the importance of cultural preservation. In Venezuela, these communities have always faced a myriad of adversities in terms of health, hunger, and forced migration, especially nowadays. There are groups we colab with that work hard to support and preserve this part of our country’s history and tradition, which are cultural heritage. I simply try to add something to this great effort through ARTTEPUY.

This project was born in a challenging time for many countries in Latin America, especially for Venezuela. However, I felt the need to help many people who needed support, hope, and in many cases, to not feel forgotten. Many indigenous communities that have been victims of forced migration are the main motivators of this project. Through these beautiful baskets made by the Warao and Yekuana groups, filled with mission and history, we are supporting cultural preservation.

Four years ago, we opened a space at La Cosecha in the Union Market District of Washington DC, where we offer a colorful, joyful, artistic, and traditional representation of many Latin American countries. Each piece carries the mission of highlighting the talent, brilliance, and all the positive aspects of each artist. These pieces are full of history

Later on, we traveled a longer path and were able to reach more countries in Latin America. This became Arttepuy’s main cause: to support countless small communities of Latin American artisans, to be a showcase for them. My work is defined as curatorial, it is a beautiful but obstacle-filled job that requires a lot of dedication. It is also accompanied by beautiful stories and many filled with sadness. But what I do complements my life—I am a lover of my Latin culture, trying to bring a smile to these artisans and, in some cases, hope.

Speaking positively about my culture, highlighting the positive, is our mission.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My name is Tamara Barnabei, a Venezuelan who emigrated to this country 20 years ago to the beautiful and multicultural city of Washington DC. The idea of Arttepuy primarily arose from the need I felt to highlight the positive aspects of my homeland, rather than just the negative news that had pushed me to emigrate. In seeking to highlight the positivity of Venezuela, I found through art the perfect way to showcase the beauty of my culture and to help many artisans in great economic need, many of whom were in forgotten situations.

Since I was young, I had encounters with Aboriginal communities in my country. The Warao culture and all it encompasses was one of my driving forces. They led me to understand the importance of cultural preservation. In Venezuela, these communities have always faced a myriad of adversities in terms of health, hunger, and forced migration, especially nowadays. There are groups like the Tierra Viva Foundation and UNHCR (Brazil) that work hard to support and preserve this part of our country’s history and tradition, which are cultural heritage. I simply try to add something to this great effort through ARTTEPUY.

Later on, we traveled a longer path and were able to reach more countries in Latin America. This became Arttepuy’s main cause: to support countless small communities of Latin American artisans, to be a showcase for them. My work is defined as curatorial, it is a beautiful but obstacle-filled job that requires a lot of dedication. It is also accompanied by beautiful stories and many filled with sadness. But what I do complements my life—I am a lover of my Latin culture, trying to bring a smile to these artisans and, in some cases, hope.

Speaking positively about my culture, highlighting the positive, is our mission.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Washington D.C. is a city full of history, museums, excellent restaurants and delicious food. After a delightful stroll through the city and its beautiful monuments and Smithsonian Museums I would bring you to visit Arttepuy here at La Cosecha in the Union Market District.

https://unionmarketdc.com/la-cosecha/

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is dedicated to each of the incredible Latin American artists and artisans who participate in my small dream.

Website: www.arttepuy.com

Instagram: @arttepuydc