About Michelle Joan Papillion

Michelle Joan Papillion is an arts entrepreneur.  Since 2001, Michelle has devoted her career to reimagining a more equitable art world.  Working with communities and artists from around the globe she made a name for herself and her company PAPILLION ART. As one of the art worlds significantly important art dealers and advisors Papillion consults to some of the world's leading public and private art collections.  She works with major brands looking to have an intersection in art and cultural relevancy.  

In 2010 PAPILLION ART was established in Los Angeles.  Known for introducing unknown often marginalized artists into the main stream art market, PAPILLION ART quickly grew to prominence for having a highly successful track record with developing artists careers.  Michelle has been labeled a key innovator and trailblazer in the emerging contemporary market.  Her status as an art influencer has shaped the new way to do business in art, creating a blue print for young dealers and gallerists to find inspiration from.  In 2017 she was asked to be on the advisory board for beverage company Perrier's new ARTXTRA initiative. 

Michelle is often praised for her eye in talent and style.  She has been written about in Vogue, Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Modern Painters, Paper Magazine, Art Forum, Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, Town and Country Magazine, Elle Magazine, Artinfo, The Coveteur, Cultured Magazine, Salon Magazine, NPR and The New York Times to name a few.  In 2015 she gave her first TEDx talk "The Art of Doing Good".  Michelle has been an art consultant on award winning television show Insecure by Issa Rae on HBO.  Music will always be the first love for Michelle as she is a trained musician and still DJ's at private dinner parties for her friends.  

After much success in art she turned her attention to how artists relate to land and food.  Which propmpted her to relaunch her family farm, Royal Queen Farms is located in the Bayou country of Louisiana.  In 2020 the Upeksha Query was formally established.  This project has been a long time coming for Michelle.

"The Upeksha Query is an artistic organization founded in 2020 by Michelle Joan Papillion.  UQ was established to collaborate and nurture relationships with artists and creatives all over the globe that are working with ideas centered around understanding consciousness and the natural world.  The UQ Main Campus is in the center of Joshua Tree, CA with two sister sites in Louisiana; The Francis Library for Art and Science Research in Shreveport and the Country House on the Bayou which host an annual retreat for writers and photographers.  All three UQ sites has been designed in collaboration with world renowned Botswana based designer Peter Mabeo of MABEO FURNITURE.

Currently she splits her time between California and her family farm Royal Queen Farms in Louisiana.  Her time in Louisiana is to nurture the work around land stewardship, soil regeneration and food forestry.  Michelle is currently engaged in several projects that bridge the worlds of art, food and land conservation.  She continues to collaborate with global creatives on various projects in art, fashion, horticulture and design.

Taken in 2020 by Barron Claiborne, photo courtesy the artist & PAPILLION ART

"MICHELLE IS ONE OF THE RARE PEOPLE WHO REALLY HAVE THE INSTINCT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN ART.  I ADMIRE HER FOR THAT.  SHE'S GOT GREAT PERSONAL STYLE AND SHE'S VERY GOOD AT ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE.  SHE ALSO HAS STRONG MOTIVATION.  A NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL DEALERS HAVE THAT, BUT TO HAVE A COMBINATION OF ALL THESE ATTRIBUTES IS VERY SPECIAL."

LEGENDARY ART DEALER AND ICON JEFFREY DEITCH AS QUOTED IN WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY