When you value the craft, it shows in your work
Eighteen years of dedication – Ras Tree
During the Evolution Music Festival 2025 the Regional Arts Committee of St. Louis had booths for artist to sell their goods and meet festival goers. The second day of the event I caught up with Ken “Ras Tree” Beauchum who is the owner of Aboriginal Bling Blam. Ras Tree was hard at work making wire arm bands and wraps during the event all while tending to people stopping and buying his amazing hand crafted jewelry. Beautiful stones surrounded by wire in ornate patterns and swirls. Stones of all colors were on display and Ras Tree was right there to take you on a journey of how a certain piece was created or his motivation behind it.
Ras Tree is not your average jewelry maker you will see at events. He is part of a group that travels the country passing knowledge and skill to the future generations and inspiring them to find their style. Ras Tree makes it a point to thank everyone who comes in contact with him and buys something from him as you are not supporting just him but his family. This in itself makes it a personal venture because it is not mass produced jewelry in his inventory but something he has personally touched and molded into a work of art. It is always great to interview someone who is truly passionate about what they do and willing to share that knowledge.
Accolades
~ 2013 ~ ABB was awarded 1st place for best booth design Fine Arts at the annual Taste of Colorado festival.
That same year ABB took 3rd place for best booth design at the Taste of St. Louis.
~ 2018 ~ ABB was awarded Fine Art Runner Up at the Taste of Colorado; Art Walk
~ 2022 ~ ABB was awarded “ Best Display” of Congo Square Marketplace, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. They also won, “Best of Show Award”, Wine & Art Festival at Rend Lake later that same year.
~ 2023 ~ Aboriginal Bling Blam was featured on Fox 2 News, St. Louis, “Retail Therapy”.
~ 2024 ~ Awarded ‘Most Unique Work’ of Congo Square Marketplace @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Also Featured on Stlouisarts.org ‘s website, “Wrapping Stones and Uplifting Local Artists: Sit down with Entrepreneur Ras Tree”
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