An Exciting Time for Art and Culture

TC’s inaugural art advisory uplifts independent artists in Grand Traverse area

From artists’ meetups to murals painted on sidewalls, northern Michigan’s arts community can feel like a hidden gem for those who aren’t yet sure where to look.

That’s where Jessica Kooiman Parker, curator of visual arts at The Alluvion, and Maggie Pavão, formerly of the Tusen Takk Foundation, came in and formed K/P Cultural. The arts advisory, which officially launched in June 2026, works with both private and public clients to curate both permanent and temporary acquisitions, based on what the purchaser is looking for.

Meet the Team
Pavão, a decade-long veteran of the New York City arts and cultural world, moved to northern Michigan in 2021 as a part of the founding group of the Tusen Takk Foundation’s artist residency, which closed at the end of 2025. The organization was always on the hunt for public venues to share their artists’ work through exhibitions, artists’ talks, and more. Enter Kooiman Parker, and a beautiful partnership blossomed from there. 

“We found that partnership very fruitful in sharing artists’ work and getting feedback and tying Tusen Takk programming into the community. We found through working together that there was such an incredible demand from other commercial spaces and individual collectors for more artists’ engagement. We felt like this was a good time for us to kind of step out on our own and work as an arts advisory,” Pavão says. 

Kooiman Parker also has a long history of working in the arts, with a curating background dating back to 2012. When she first relocated to Traverse City, she took a position as Art Consultant & Curator with Commongrounds Cooperative, where she built her presence in the art scene before transitioning into her current role into full time Visual Art Curator at The Alluvion in 2024. 

“I was nervous when I moved here because I thought, well, I’m not sure where I’ll be able to curate, but I was able to work with Commongrounds to develop the program art there, and eventually working with The Alluvion team. It goes hand in hand, performance space with visual arts,” Kooiman Parker says. 

“Maggie and I both saw a need for our work, being a connector between spaces and artists, whether that’s private or public spaces,” Kooiman Parker continues. “We thought there was a need there, and when we started exploring and started working together, it was quickly really clear that there’s a huge need for it, for artists to be able to focus on their work in the studio and not to have to worry about putting their art out there all the time.”

What They Do
A large part of their work involves keeping a pulse on artists, so when interested clients approach the two of them, they know what to recommend—no matter the style, exhibition type, or medium. Thanks to their existing connections in the arts community, this has come as a natural segue, making the challenge more enjoyable and centered around relationships, rather than purely problem-solving.

Pavão and Kooiman Parker’s first curated exhibition as K/P Cultural was the Traverse City Visitor Center. 

“We worked with Whitney Waara about wanting to have local artists featured there and enhancing the visitor experience when the tourists come through,” Kooiman Parker says. “It starts with this research and understanding the space: how people are moving through the space, what points they are going to see right before they leave or when they come in, what is the main [focus], what types of work can we put in, and how the lighting is.”

She adds that for that exhibit, “we thought a lot about the idea of being present … how an artist will be working in their studio in that moment of creation is very present, then thinking about how tourists are coming to vacation and, in that moment, are able to get away from everything else and be present,” Kooiman Parker says. “Also nodding towards the locals coming into Traverse City Visitor Center to say, ‘thanks for coming in.’”

Then begins the research process: looking at artists whose works align with the theme, who they’ve seen work from through exhibitions and studio tours, and even travelling to seek out more artists to keep up with for current or future projects. For the visitor’s center exhibition, they found a few local artists with existing work that fit the theme and kicked off a back and forth that led to building the collection.

“One thing we always do is select more work than we might be able to hang so that when you get in the space, you also have some options. Installing the work takes a lot of time and energy, visualizing what’s going to look best in some of these high impact areas,” Kooiman Parker explains. “We hold ourselves to pretty high standards, making sure everything is very intentional around the curation of it. It’s not just selecting five artists we know; it’s really thought out as far as the work that they’re creating and their processes, their mediums.”

What’s Next
Their latest exhibition is a nod to the upcoming Traverse City Food and Wine festival titled “Tasting Notes” hosted at Allium Hill, a luxury vineyard and farm-stay destination in Leelanau County. The collection centers on capturing the “heartbeat” of northern Michigan’s food and agriculture, featuring everything from photography and poetry to illustrations and paintings. 

Looking ahead, Pavão and Kooiman Parker note that they’re looking forward to collaborating with The Delamar hotel, as well as the Thirlby Clinic, diving deeper into the connections between wellness and art, all while driving toward their mission of supporting artists and making art accessible within the community.

“I’ve always been a creative person, but in college, I took an art history course. The professor at the time said something about art being the raisins in the Raisin Bran of life,” Pavão says. “Art is those juicy bits that you like to look forward to and you really dig into. That imagery has always really resonated with me, and I took off from there. I started working in artist residencies in New York and discovered how amazing artists are and what life they bring to our world.”

Kooiman Parker’s drive is similarly founded in the hope to preserve art throughout generations. 

“Mine stems from my three kids and wanting them to grow up in a space that fosters freedom of expression, whatever that looks like. For me, it’s mostly visual art. But for them to be able to experience that in their community, I think is really important and impactful,” she says. “So whatever I can do to help lay that path, I feel really driven to do that.”

Pavão concludes by saying that the Midwest is having a bit of an artistic Renaissance, referencing a recent trip with Kooiman Parker to the Dorr County Contemporary Art Fair.

“It’s just a really exciting time for arts and culture, and we’re excited to be working with clients and artists. We’re hoping to continue to build those bridges,” she says.

For more information, or to find out where to view ongoing and future exhibitions, visit kpcultural.com. 

View On Our Website