Art gallery interior displaying a textile wall piece on the left and two mixed media sculptures resembling tall slender figures made from branches and black textured material, positioned in front of large glass windows.

● About Us

K/P Cultural is a Midwest-based arts advisory and creative consulting firm.

We advocate for the arts in our region by curating contemporary art in civic, commercial, and lived environments and consulting on cultural projects that strengthen our creative ecosystem.

We specialize in:

  • Contemporary art advising

  • Curatorial projects including rotating exhibitions, installations, and cultural programming

  • Creative strategy, including organizational and marketing support for cultural projects

With 25+ years of experience spanning the West to the East Coast, Co-Founders Jessica Kooiman Parker and Maggie Pavão bring a national perspective while maintaining a local, personal approach.

K/P Cultural is based in Traverse City, Michigan and works on projects across the country.

Co-Founders Jessica Kooiman Parker and Maggie Pavao

Jessica Kooiman Parker (left)

CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF CURATOR

Jessica Kooiman Parker is a visual art curator and designer with 15 years of experience leading and building impactful cultural programs from the ground up. Her practice balances curatorial vision with strategic thinking, drawing on experience as a small business owner, freelance designer, and creative leader to move projects from concept through execution. Over her career, she has collaborated with hundreds of artists to create exhibitions and public-facing projects that expand artist visibility, spark curiosity, and build community.

Jessica was raised in southwestern Minnesota and holds a BFA from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. Jessica led award-winning galleries in Colorado and, upon relocating to Traverse City, MI, developed the visual art program at Commongrounds, one of the nation's first co-op real estate developments. She continues to advocate for and collaborate with artists in the region by curating exhibitions within Commongrounds for The Alluvion.

Maggie Pavão

CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

Maggie Pavao is an arts professional and writer with experience in art-world operations, communications, and grant-writing. Raised on the shores of Long Island, she relocated to Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula to work with a family foundation to establish the Tusen Takk Foundation. From 2020 to 2025, Maggie coordinated the Foundation’s international artist-in-residence program, driving regional engagement through community programs and exhibitions as well as guest residencies for local artists.

Maggie has been engaged in NYC’s cultural sector for over a decade, currently managing external affairs for Smack Mellon, an alternative arts space housing galleries, residencies, and education programs on the Brooklyn waterfront. She served previously at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, where she supported the opening of the Arts Center at Governors Island, and at New York University's galleries. Maggie earned a BA in Art History and an MA in Museum Studies from New York University.

Photo by Rachel Winslow

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