Kal demaree

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Hello, It is lovely to connect with you.

My name is Kal Demaree, and I am a passionate community focused facilitator of storytelling and care. I am passionate about collaborative stewardship of collections and stories, prioritizing access and shared authority with source community stakeholders. I am currently continuing my education in Museum Studies, as well as ongoing initiatives within the local Indianapolis community. I aspire to do meaningful impact through museum curatorial, collections, and registration work.

  • Headshot of Kal Demaree (pale, short red curly hair, in white button up shirt) in front of a dark green background.
    Headshot, Credits: Abby Godsen
  • Femme person (Kal Demaree) in red shirt and blue jeans leaning against green and white sign that says "History Center Museum, Genealogy Library, Museum Store"
    My first few museum internships were at the Monroe County History Center in Bloomington, Indiana. Credits: Megan Stricker
  • Femme person (Kal Demaree) with brown curly hair, in orange tank top with light blue unbuttoned shirt on top, posed for photo.
    From 2021-2022, I worked with Indiana University Collections to digitize a large archival collection. IU Research did an article on me, which featured this photo. Credits: IU Research, self.
  • Photo of 5 people. From left to right, a young women with dark hair wearing a pink dress with a white sweater; a tall man wearing a grey shirt and black suit jacket, a women with long brown hair wearing a grey shirt with a brown jacket, a young femme person (Kal Demaree) wearing an orange blouse, and a tall women with brown hair wearing a green dress. The group is posed within the entry way of a banquet hall.
    I am a proud alumna of the IU Civic Leaders Center. I served as their graduate assistant in the 2021-2022 school year; this photo is from one of their banquets. I am pictured here alongside my supervisor and co-workers and fellow alumni. Credits: Megan Bankowski
  • Person (Kal Demaree) with medium legthen curly red/blond hair, in white button down shirt, posed in front of a large black poster with red and white text blocks and images, on an easel.
    In 2025, Dr. Holly Cusack McVeigh (my advisor), and my classmates (Kylie Barkley, Thomas Crain, Shannon Sutton), co-authored a research poster titled “Outside the Lines: A Cross-Disciplinary, International Teaching & Learning Collaboration”. We presented the poster in October 2025 at Indiana University’s Celebration of Teaching mini-conference. Credits: Shannon Sutton
  • Person (Kal Demaree) with brown curly hair, in black graduation robes and cap (with red and white flowers and ribbons on it), posing for the camera holding red diploma holder.
    I graduated from IU Bloomington in 2022 with a Bachelors in Anthropology, with minors in Folklore and Ethnomusicology, and Educational Studies. I completed my degree in three years. Credits: Cami Demaree
  • Person (Kal Demaree) within short curly red hair, glasses, rainbow beaded earing, black long sleeve shirt and yellow overalls poses with grey dress form that has a white tshirt with text written on it. the text reads: "Too many peoples' lives ended at Fox Hallow Farm in Westfield, IN - but not all their names are yet known. If someone you loved vanished between 1980-96 in the Indy area, DNA testing could bring answers. Call (317) 770-4415 to learn more."
    In 2025, I created a wearable textile art piece about the Fox Hollow Farm Murders, to bring awareness to the free DNA testing made available by the Hamilton County Coroner’s office to help identify the victims. I wore the piece to various Pride celebrations around Indiana. In late 2025, I was invited to display the piece at the Indiana University Indianapolis Campus Center’s Cultural Arts Gallery as part of an exhibition highlighting LGBTQIA2s+ students, titled “Shades of Us”, curated by Sophia Dewitt. Credits: Abby Godsen
  • Person (Kal Demaree), with long blond curly hair, in black dress, seated, playing a black bassoon, on a black floored stage as part of a concert band.
    I grew up playing bassoon and flute; I have since retired after contracting Long Covid in January 2020, and loosing my lung capacity and experiencing loss in (and then re-building) my fine motor skills. I often played for the residents and healthcare staff at my paternal grandmother’s memory care facility after school. Credits: Mt. Vernon High School Newspaper Staff.
  • Person (Kal Demaree) with brown curly hair, glasses, and a black N-95 face mask, in black tshirt and brown cargo pants, tying string to attach sections of plastic together to make a box; person with blond hair and glasses is sitting within the open end of the box.
    In April 2025, Dr. Holly Cusack-McVeigh and her Community Collaboration and Curation course, which I was part of, traveled to the Isabella Reservation in central Michigan for a week-long service learning session with the Ziibiwing Center Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways. As part of my work on this trip, I aided in creating storage boxes for artwork. My classmate, Gretchen Butler, is pictured here with me, mid-box creation. Credit: Rebekah Ryan
  • Person (Kal Demaree) is posted to the left of a painted denim jacket. The person has short curly red hair, glasses, and is wearing a black long sleeve shirt with yellow overalls, and rainbow beaded earrings. The blue denim jacket is painted white on the central back panels with black lettering; the lettering at the top says "Not gay as in happy, but queer as in I love you".
    In 2023, I created the piece “Not gay as in happy, but queer as in I love you”, a textile wearable piece that aimed to express my definition of “queer”. In 2025, I was invited to display the piece at the Indiana University Indianapolis Campus Center’s Cultural Arts Gallery as part of their exhibition highlighting LGBTQIA2+ students titled “Shades of Us”, curated by Sophia Dewitt. Credits: Megan Stricker

About Me

I often trace my path to museum work back to a specific memory: watching a news clip about Iraqi museum workers trying to evacuate collections out of war zones. From that moment on, I became an advocate for cultural heritage and a committed pacifist. Today, I am pursuing my M.A. in Museum Studies at Indiana University Indianapolis (expected December 2026), where I focus on collections care and management as well as curatorial work. My experience spans project management, preventative conservation, and collaborative community relationship building. I am especially passionate about preserving and sharing the stories of LGBTQIA2S+ elders. When I’m not in a museum, you can find me doing fiber arts or taking care of my two cats, Simba and Texas Roadhouse Roll.

Personal Mission Statement

To serve others and build community by supporting the telling and safeguarding of stories, so that those who tell, listen, and learn from them may continue to carry them forward as guidance for present and future generations.

Core Values

Reciprocal and Collaborative Work: Working together with others to achieve shared goals, strengthen community, and leave the world better than we found it.

Active and Responsible Listening: Listening thoughtfully to understand others, respond with care, and guide decisions that benefit the present and future generations.

Intergenerational Responsibility: Preserving stories, knowledge, and culture so that those who come after us are empowered, informed, and inspired.

Trust and Reliability: Acting with integrity, consistency, and accountability to build confidence and an enduring sense of community.

Service to Others: Prioritizing the needs of community members, using my skills and actions to improve lives today and for those who follow.

Kal demaree

Midwest, United States

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