Karen M. Keane

Karen Keane is Chairman Emerita of Bonhams Skinner, overseeing the operation of one of the world’s leading auction houses. Along with possessing a broad knowledge of furniture and fine and decorative arts, she is also a formidable presence at the auction podium and became the company’s first female auctioneer early in her career.

Karen is a familiar face and leading appraiser on the PBS Emmy Award-winning TV series, Antiques Roadshow. Sought after by the media, she is a regular contributor to art and antiques publications, symposiums, and websites. Additionally, she lectures and conducts benefit auctions and appraisal events for non-profit and for-profit institutions nationwide, including the Annual MassArt Auction, where she volunteers pro-bono.
A former overseer of the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Worcester Art Museum, Karen holds a Master’s degree in Art History from Boston University.

Daren Bascome '93 BFA Graphic Design

Daren Bascome is the founder and managing director of Proverb Agency, a branding and advertising agency located in Boston’s South End. Under Bascome’s leadership, Proverb has been recognized as a “Best in Business” by Inc. and has won numerous tourism, local, and international awards for its inclusivity work. 

In addition to leading Proverb, Bascome is on the Board of Massachusetts Marketing Partnership (MMP), serves as an overseer at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and is on the advisory board of the educational organization Facing History and Ourselves. He has also been recognized as a “Most Influential Bostonian” by Boston Magazine and as one of the city’s Most Influential Men of Color by Get Konnected!, a Boston-based multicultural resource platform.

Bascome earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Design from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and attended Boston University’s Questrom School of Business for small business and entrepreneurship.

Sunand Bhattacharya

Sunand Bhattacharya is the associate vice provost of Design and Innovation Strategy at Boston College. As a learning architect, design educator, and industrial designer, he spearheaded the creation of the college’s first human-centered engineering program. 

Previously, Sunand was the global learning strategist for Autodesk, leading its Learning Futures team. Earlier in his career, he was the co-founding partner of Arjuna Learning Designs LLC, which specialized in the creation of interactive learning objects for leading publishing houses. 

Sunand holds advisory positions at Olin College of Engineering, Purdue University Polytechnic Institute, Cal State Northridge and Station1-MIT, and Nirma University. He serves on the International Boards of Global Minimum Inc (GMin) in Kenya and Agastya International Foundation (US) in India. He received his Master of Design from the National Institute of Design in India, and holds a terminal post-graduate MFA degree in industrial design and human factors from The Ohio State University.

Lina Maria Giraldo, ‘06 BFA SIM

Lina Maria Giraldo is a Boston-based designer, interactive media artist, and storyteller from Colombia. An assistant professor of data visualization in the Department of Journalism at Emerson College, she has a background in co-design, civic media, art, and technology.

Lina has been honored as a journalist-in-residence at Emerson College, an artist-in-residence for the City of Boston, and a recipient of the Now + There accelerator program for creating Public Art in the City of Boston. She is also the recipient of the Creative City Grant and the Hispanic Scholarship Foundation Grant. While working as an interaction designer at ESI Design, Lina was part of the award-winning educational website JFK50.org team. 

Lina’s work focuses on interactive storytelling for social change through data visualization, grassroots storytelling, public installations, and computer-generated art. Her art explores questions related to identity, data democratization, and environmental justice within minorities of color, particularly Latine.

Denise Korn

Denise Korn is the founder/principal of Yellow&, a creative consultancy for developing brands that foster meaningful business and social impact. 

Denise was previously the creative director/design director for Lifestyle Brand at Gensler and founder of the award-winning brand strategy and design firm, Korn Design. She is the recipient of the Fellow Award from the American Institute for Graphic Arts (AIGA) and was also awarded a James Beard Foundation medal for design. Her work has been honored by AIGA and Communication Arts, Interior Design, and other magazines.

A champion of diversifying the creative economy, Denise founded Youth Design in 2003 to mentor the next generation of design professionals. She serves as a senior fellow in social innovation at the Babson College Lewis Institute, on the Advisory Council for Cornell University’s School of Architecture, Art & Planning, and on the Advisory Boards for AIGA/Boston and the Boston Private Industry Council.

Makeeba McCreary

Dr. McCreary is the President of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund (NCF), leading efforts to empower Black and Brown communities across Massachusetts. Under her leadership, NCF has raised over $40 million and distributed $16 million to nonprofits focused on health equity, criminal justice reform, youth development, economic empowerment, and the arts.

Previously, she served as the Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning and Community Engagement at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she expanded community programs and integrated diverse voices into exhibitions. She also held leadership roles in Boston Public Schools and managed philanthropic initiatives for major national brands.

Dr. McCreary holds a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, a master’s from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a bachelor’s from UMass Boston. She remains dedicated to fostering equity, education, and cultural transformation.

Peter Nessen

Peter Nessen, founder and president of Nessen Associates, is a public accountant who has served as CEO and on the governing board of advisors for national investment banking firms. He was assistant secretary of administration and finance, responsible for human and social service purchase reform. Additionally, he served as secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a role that made him the senior member in the cabinet of Governor William Weld. 

Peter has been a partner in the accounting firms of BDO Seidman and Henry J. Bornhofft Company and the Dean for Resources and Special Projects at Harvard Medical School. He chaired the Massachusetts Cultural Council, served on the Governor’s Commission evaluating school reform, and represented Massachusetts on the New England Accreditation Commission.

Peter holds a Bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a Master’s in Business Administration from Dartmouth, as well.

Janice M. Saragoni

Kelly Sherman, ‘02 BFA Sculpture

Kelly Sherman is an organizational strategist with nearly 20 years of experience advancing innovation in nonprofit arts, education, and social justice organizations, as well as Fortune 500 companies. Since 2021, she has helped build and lead the Impact Collective—a nonprofit focused on closing the racial wealth gap.

Kelly began her strategy career at the global innovation consultancy EPAM Continuum, where her design research earned a Gold IDEA Award from the Industrial Designers Society of America. She co-founded a MassChallenge start-up and transitioned into mission-driven work, developing innovation strategies, workshops, and coaching for nonprofits and their leaders.

Grounded in design thinking, adaptive leadership, and radical antiracism, Kelly has held leadership roles on numerous governance and advisory boards, including the BSA Foundation, MassArt’s Alumni Leadership Council, and Cambridge’s Mayor’s Arts Task Force. She currently serves on MIT List Visual Art Center’s Advisory Board and as President of the PTO for a public elementary school in Cambridge.

Kelly dedicated 20 years to an active art practice, supported by the Krakow Witkin Gallery, Center Street Studio, and the ICA Boston, which awarded her a Foster Prize and houses her work in its permanent collection.

Suzanne Bump

Trustee Bump regards her board service as a continuation of her life in state public service, which concluded officially with her retirement from the position of State Auditor in 2023. In that capacity she served on the US Comptroller General’s Domestic Working Group and was president of the National State Auditors Association. Throughout her career, which included the positions of Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development and of State Representative, she was focused on the effectiveness and accountability of public institutions. As a trustee and as a director of the MassArt Foundation, she is dedicated to ensuring the continued integrity of the institution and fulfillment of its mission, equipping artists, designers, and educators with the skills and knowledge to enhance our communities and lives. Trustee Bump is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School, Boston College, and Cardinal Spellman High School.