Perron Projects helps institutions define who they are – through culture.*
*Arts & culture as strategy for institutional impact.
INTRODUCING
Perron Projects was founded on the premise that arts and culture are powerful tools institutions can use to express who they are.
We partner with forward-thinking companies, foundations, and cultural and civic organizations to shape ambitious ideas, build meaningful partnerships, and bring cultural initiatives to life.
EXPANDING ON A PREMISE
Culture isn’t
decoration…
…it’s definition.
Too often, arts and culture are treated as accessories — programs to support, spaces to fill.
But they can do something more essential: they can make values visible, translate mission into experience, and shape how an institution is perceived — inside and out.
We approach culture as strategic infrastructure: a means of aligning vision, activating space, and creating meaningful, lasting engagement for everyone it touches.
Because institutions are shaped as much by what they do as by how they are experienced.
OUR CREDENTIALS
Trusted by leaders and organizations across the arts, philanthropy, higher education, and civic sectors.
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For more than 3 decades Perron Projects has operated at the intersection of arts, strategy, and institutional leadership.
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A dynamic mix of events and exhibits curated to showcase a spectrum of local, national, and international artists.
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Through the Kresge Arts in Detroit fellowship program Michelle Perron has overseen millions in artist investment.
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Through philanthropic partnerships, cultural initiatives, and other fundraising channels.
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Perron has supported artists of every media through awards, grants, exhibitions, sales, publications, and mentorship.
Founder and principal of Perron Projects, Michelle Perron has spent more than three decades at the intersection of art, strategy, and institutional leadership—building programs that matter, advising leaders who shape communities, and championing the transformative power of culture as a driver of organizational and civic life.
WHAT SETS PERRON PROJECTS APART
Most cultural consultants come from one world. We bridge three.
Perron Projects occupies a rare position at the intersection of curatorial excellence, institutional leadership, and strategic implementation—a combination that fundamentally changes how cultural work gets done.
What This Means For You
No. 1 – Curatorial Rigor Meets Business Acumen
We bring museum-quality standards and deep relationships with artists alongside proven experience in managing multi-million-dollar budgets, fundraising campaigns, and institutional strategy.
No. 2 – Vision and Execution, Integrated
Unlike consultants who only strategize or curators who only program, we move fluidly from boardroom to artist studio—ensuring ideas are both ambitious and achievable.
No. 3 – Credibility Across Sectors
We speak the languages of philanthropy, corporate leadership, cultural institutions, and creative practitioners—building bridges others can't.
No. 4 – Proven at Scale
Unlike consultants who only strategize or curators who only program, we move fluidly from boardroom to artist studio—ensuring ideas are both ambitious and achievable.
The Result
Cultural initiatives that are strategically sound, artistically excellent, and built to last.
WHAT WE DO
Arts and culture can play many roles within an institution. Perron Projects helps define and deliver the ones that matter most.
We work at the intersection of strategy, culture, and implementation—helping institutions move from idea to execution to impact with clarity and coherence.
Whether you're shaping a new initiative, reimagining an existing program, or navigating institutional transition, we bring both strategic rigor and creative vision.
CULTURAL STRATEGY
Defining direction
We work with leadership to clarify how arts and culture can advance institutional goals.
This includes:
vision and positioning
opportunity identification
strategic frameworks
alignment with mission and audience
Outcome: A clear, actionable direction for cultural investment and impact.
PROGRAMS + PARTNERSHIPS
Activating Ideas
We design initiatives that translate strategy into lived experience.
This includes:
program development
artist and partner identification
collaboration design
public engagement concepts
Outcome: Programs that connect meaningfully with audiences and communities.
ART & SPACE INTEGRATION
Shaping the built environment
We guide the integration of arts and culture into physical spaces—from single commissions to campus-wide strategies.
This includes:
public art frameworks
artist selection and commissioning
collaboration with architects and designers
site-responsive concepts
Outcome: Spaces that communicate identity and enhance experience.
STRATEGIC ADVISORY
Supporting complex initiatives
For organizations navigating major transitions or opportunities, Perron Projects provides ongoing advisory support.
This includes:
confidential leadership advisory
board and leadership facilitation
navigating moments of transition or reinvention
shaping major cultural initiatives
stakeholder alignment
Outcome: Clarity and confidence in complex, consequential decisions.
Culture is how institutions are remembered.
Strategy, culture, and Execution—integrated
HOW WE WORK
Perron Projects occupies a rare position at the intersection of curatorial excellence, institutional leadership, and strategic implementation—a combination that fundamentally changes how cultural work gets done.
Our approach is:
Strategic — rooted in institutional goals and long-term vision
Contextual — responsive to place, audience, and opportunity
Action-oriented — focused on producing tangible, meaningful outcomes
WHY THIS WORK MATTERS NOW
Why arts and culture— and why now?
Institutions today are navigating increasing complexity: shifting public expectations, evolving identities, and a need for deeper connection with communities.
Arts and culture offer a uniquely powerful way to meet this moment — creating experiences that are immediate, expressive, and enduring.
Perron Projects helps institutions realize that potential with intention and impact.
What endures?
Programs that resonate.
Cultural systems that evolve.
Spaces that communicate.
Over time, these become part of how an institution is known—and remembered.
Selected Strategic Work
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The Challenge
Detroit's artists are central to the city's cultural vitality, yet many lack sustained access to meaningful financial support and public recognition. The Kresge Foundation believed that a new initiative was needed to strengthen the creative ecosystem while advancing equity in arts funding.
The Approach
Michelle Perron designed and launched Kresge Arts in Detroit, creating a comprehensive artist fellowship and awards program centered on direct, unrestricted investment in creative practitioners. The initiative was structured to support artists across disciplines and communities, with a transparent selection process and an emphasis on equity and long-term sustainability.
The Result
Since its founding, the program has distributed more than $10 million to more than 500 Detroit-area artists, providing fellowships, Eminent Artist awards, and emerging artist grants. The initiative is now widely recognized as a national model for equitable arts investment, and it is studied and adapted by peer institutions across the United States.
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CONNECT WITH PERRON PROJECTS
Let’s Start a
Conversation
Whether you are at an early stage of thinking or advancing a major initiative, Perron Projects can help clarify direction and bring ideas to life.