Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Parker.
Nicole, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started out as an artist in Detroit. I received my formal training in Detroit at Wayne State University and eventually, a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Michigan. In Detroit, I was Co-founder/Director of Development at a small nonprofit arts organization, wearing many hats, as we artists do, and working a “day job” at the same time. Eventually, I landed an Assistant Professorship at a small liberal arts college in northwest Detroit. I taught photography, art for non-art majors, and two-dimensional design and color theory. I gave students a lot of space to create and helped promote the idea of using their voices to be advocates for themselves and their desired paths. This didn’t go over well in the small college and I soon found myself looking for a new path for myself. I had family down here in Texas who really wanted me to leave Michigan for a more positive, vibrant locale. Six weeks later, I drove to Austin. Eight years later, I have two businesses and I am Culture and Arts Instructor at The George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s not really been a smooth road. I moved to Austin without much of a plan and with very little money. I had sold or given away many of my belongings and left the rest in my mom’s basement. It was difficult to find any type of art-related job, and at the time, any type of full-time work. Positions in colleges and universities aren’t jobs you can just find “once you get there”. You have to move to where the jobs are. I applied and applied and applied to every creative or non-creative job opening I could find whether it was as educator, coordinator, director, etc. I volunteered for multiple art organizations in Austin too. No one would grant me an interview or even a “thank you, no thank you”. It was a very financially unstable time. I always continued making art, hustling and persevering. At many points in time, I had multiple part-time jobs and re-started my business of being an artist. After a few years of this, I opened up a mobile gallery and vintage boutique with my partner Gilberto Diaz de Leon. I was not going to give up!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Nicole Parker Studio/Detroit to Laredo – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My businesses are multi-faceted but not without focus. Detroit to Laredo is the mobile art gallery and vintage boutique. We exhibit and sell local, professional artist’s work, which has ranged from paintings to found object art. Thus far, we have focused on artists of Latin American descent, including Johnny Ramirez and Gerardo Arellano. We always include my handmade, sassy greeting cards, t-shirts, and photographs of local flora, landscapes, and still life and a small edition of more formal artwork. The evolution of the mobile boutique is to have transportable gallery walls and more artists showcased. The vintage side ranges from knick-knacks, furniture, and kitchenware to movie posters, records, and tools. We’re known for having an eclectic mix of “stuff” and cool and funky art.
I think that what sets us apart from others is our sense of community and welcoming to the space. It is not unusual to show up at our shop and see a group of friends helping out, live music, and a grill going. We are open to bartering, negotiating, and we keep our prices low because we have little overhead compared to shops in Austin with exorbitant rent. It’s fun and it’s always changing.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like best about Austin is how active it is and that there is always something going on in the visual and performing arts and cultural events.
What I like least is the gentrification that has happened and that there are many people with a lot of disposable income that seem to have little respect or appreciation for the rich history of the culture here, who just came to Austin to have a good time and some drinks. It appears homogeneous at times.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicoleparkerstudio.com
- Email: nicolemparker5@gmail.com, detroittolaredo@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/detroittolaredo, instagram.com/nicoleparkerstudio
Image Credit:
Nicole Parker
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
