● About Us

MJ Projects is a Midwest-based arts advisory and creative consulting firm. We specialize in:

  • Contemporary art advising

  • Activations through rotating exhibitions, permanent installations, and cultural programming

  • 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.

MJProjects is based in Traverse City, Michigan, and works on projects across the country.

Co-Founders Jessica Kooiman Parker and Maggie Pavao

Jessica Kooiman Parker

CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF CURATOR

Jessica Kooiman Parker is a visual art curator and designer. She grew up in southwestern Minnesota and earned a BFA from the University of WI-Stout. From 2013-2020, she oversaw award-winning art galleries in both Longmont and Boulder, CO. In 2021, she moved to Traverse City, MI with her husband and three boys. Since then, she has built the visual art program for the Alluvion at Commongrounds, exhibiting over 100 artists last year. Her curatorial practice is rooted in sparking curiosity and dialogue among visitors.

Maggie Pavão

CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

Maggie Pavao is an arts professional and writer. Raised on Long Island, she moved to Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula to manage the Tusen Takk Foundation artist residency from 2020-25. Maggie has been engaged in NYC’s cultural sector for over a decade, having worked in fundraising and communications at non-profit art spaces including Smack Mellon, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and 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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