February 25, 2020 (Hyannis, MA) – The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod (AFCC) is welcoming new leadership to its Board of Directors, having appointed Kathryn Kayajan of Mashpee as its new chair and Lilly Chan of Cotuit as a board member.
“Both Kathryn and Lilly have a real passion for the arts and the work we’re doing to increase access to artistic opportunities for all on Cape Cod, especially the next generation,” said AFCC Executive Director Julie Wake. “I’m eager to work with them as we ensure that arts and culture continues to play a pivotal role in our community and touches all aspects of our economy.”
Kayajan, who joined the board in May 2018, succeeds Rana Murphy, who has served as chair for the past three years. “Rana has done a wonderful job in helping to vault the AFCC forward to the point we’ve grown our grant, fellowship, and youth scholarship programs while adding AFCC Access which connects underprivileged youth in our region to arts enrichment and cultural activities,” Wake said.
Prior to her board appointment, Kayajan served as an AFCC volunteer. “I am so excited to serve as the board chair because the Arts Foundation has expanded and witnessed tremendous growth in their outreach and programming the past couple of years,” she said. “I am looking forward to continue that success in my new role.”
Kayajan is the CEO of FERRAN, an American luxury textile, wallpaper and home goods company that she launched in 2000 and which has been featured in Vogue, Country Living, and Elle.
A Hyannis native, Kayajan was first exposed to the arts as a child when she attended classes at the Cape Cod Conservatory. She later attended The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as well as the Parsons School of Design where she studied architectural design.
Chan, who has maintained a home on Cape Cod with her family the last five years, moved here full-time from Hong Kong last summer.
“This is a pivotal and exciting time for the Arts Foundation to be able to celebrate its strong history in the arts and culture and propel it to the next stage – that being, how can our organization use the arts to create an even more thriving community,” she said.
As an advisor and a consultant, Chan brings more than 25 years of business leadership experience to the Arts Foundation, most recently serving as the managing director of Asia with Phillips Auctioneers in Hong Kong. Prior to Phillips, Chan was the global managing director at Christie’s where she grew its Asian Art business to over $550 million.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Boston College and an MBA from Northwestern University. In her spare time, Lilly loves to travel, being outdoors with her husband David and their 11-year-old son Kai, and reading the latest books on innovation and leadership.
About the AFCC
The AFCC’s mission is to support, promote, and celebrate the arts and culture of Cape Cod. It fulfills its mission by funding grants, fellowships, and scholarships; by advocating for more awareness on the impact the Cape’s creative economy has on our region and beyond; and by building a strong arts community network through membership.