Board of Trustees
Ara Arslanian
Board Member, New York
Ara Arslanian was born in Aleppo, Syria and moved to Beirut, Lebanon as an infant. His family stayed there until he was nine and then moved to Belgium where most of his extended family now reside. In his early years, he studied in England, Switzerland, France and Belgium. In Paris, France, he studied at the Mechitarian Armenian School.
Arslanian grew up being aware and conscious of his family’s concern for Armenians. Both sides of his family are Armenian. His father, Melanchton Arslanian was an Armenian activist throughout his life. He instilled in his children the awareness of being a good Armenian. His mother, Violette Oghlian Arslanian, while living in Beirut taught religion on Sundays at the Armenian school. Arslanian is a philanthropist has always been involved in various charitable organizations and continues to do so for the betterment of the Armenian people. He arrived in New York City in 1976, where he continues live today with his family.
Nina Hovnanian
Board Member, Yerevan
Nina Hovnanian graduated from Columbia University’s Barnard College with degrees in Art History and Diplomatic History. Hovnanian, a creative entrepreneur, designer, fundraiser and board member is an active member of Armenian society. While still a student, Hovnanian co-founded a company that distributed 35mm music videos to movie theaters as sponsored entertainment before the feature films, sharpening her concept of cause-related marketing. Hovnanian has worked as the director of development for the New York Academy of Art, and the Princess Grace Foundation (PGF), as well as opening her eponymous couture label Nina Hovnanian Couture. In 2002, Hovnanian moved to Yerevan to start up and run the Armenian Tourism Development Agency, which under her tenure, grew incoming tourism from 40,000 in 2002 to over 700,000 at the time of ATDA’s closing in 2010. Hovnanian also launched the gallery Treasures of Armenia highlighting Armenian artists, artisans and her own fashion design. In 2015, Vahak Hovnanian founder and CEO of Hovnanian International (developer of Vahakni and Ararat Valley Country Club) named Nina Hovnanian as his successor. She lives in Yerevan, Armenia’s Vahakni Residential Community with her two daughters and is an active board member for several cultural institutions.
Lucy Kinosian
Board Member, Frankfurt
Lucy Kinosian brings a strong finance background to the YBAF Board, having spent her career to date in investment and international commercial banking. Kinosian earned her undergraduate degree from University of Pennsylvania‘s Wharton School of Business and went on to get her MBA in Finance at University of Chicago after 4 years at Goldman Sachs in New York. Following business school, she launched her international career in banking through various roles based in London and Frankfurt, actively covering clients throughout Europe and CIS. She has extensive experience in business development and strategy, financial investments, and executive leadership experience serving on Executive Committees at banks as well as non-profit organizations. Kinosian has supported various charitable organizations, including serving on the Board of the St. Vartanantz Church Foundation (NJ, USA), as well as the Executive Committee of the Frankfurt International School Foundation. She has a strong connection to the Armenian community and diaspora starting with her education in Armenian language and culture at the Hovnanian School in New Jersey, where her uncle, Garabed Kinosian, was a founding member alongside Vahak Hovnanian. She lives in Frankfurt, Germany with her husband and two children, and enjoys spending time at her summer home in Martha‘s Vineyard.
Fabio Lenzi
Co-Founder & Chairman of the Board, Yerevan
Fabio Lenzi, Co-Founder of the Yerevan Biennial Art Foundation, Lenzi was born in Italy and studied economics in Rome and Hamburg. Following university, he worked in the banking sector in Barcelona, which led him to specialize in marketing and business management. Worldwide travel and active networking developed Lenzi’s interest in international affairs and multi-national corporations, which kick started a long and successful career as economic reports director and producer in collaboration with a number of selective top international media, placing strong focus on emerging markets and developing economies such as Nigeria, Mauritius, South Africa, Cambodia, Morocco, Malta, Georgia, and lastly Armenia, where in January 2016 he set up his consulting firm. After realizing the potential that Yerevan has in the creative industry and with the vision of supporting Armenia in becoming a regional hub for art and culture, in 2018 Lenzi launched the Yerevan based international exhibition ICAE2018. Following his vision, in December 2019, Lenzi founded the Yerevan Biennial Art Foundation.
Caroline Lais-Tufenkian
Board Member, Los Angeles
Caroline Lais-Tufenkian is the owner and director of Tufenkian Fine Arts. For over two decades, Lais-Tufenkian has supported and promoted arts in Southern California. She began her career curating exhibitions for emerging and established contemporary artists in numerous venues across Southern California. In 2015 Lais-Tufenkian established Tufenkian Fine Arts in Glendale. The gallery presents and connects audiences to excellence in contemporary art through a dynamic exhibition schedule, Artist Talks, and publishes high quality catalogs with essays by leaders in the art world. The gallery partners with artists and scholars, and seeks to engage the community and encourage cultural dialogue through its engaging programing. Lais-Tufenkian works closely with private and corporate clients to develop their collection. The gallery aims to serve with a passion for art, knowledge, and excellent customer service. Lais-Tufenkian currently serves on the Arts and Culture Commissioner for the City of Glendale and is a Trustees of the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Boston. She was an Associate of the Brand Library and Art Center and served on the Friends of Arshile Gorky Committee for the MOCA show Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective in 2010. She lives in Glendale with her husband and three boys.
Christina Martirosian
Board Member, Donor Relations & Development Liaison, Dubai
Christina Martirosian comes to YBAF with a diverse and global background in development and marketing while living and working in Russia, Europe, Asia and the US. With a Bachelors Degree in International Business and Marketing and an MBA from Eastern Michigan University (EMU), Christina had brought her dynamic and dedicated spirit to several non-profit organizations that support music, art and education. As an acting development liaison for Sphinx International Musical Foundation in the US, she is involved in new benefactor VIP relations, production aspect of concerts and audience development. As an Executive Committee and Development Board Member of the International Women’s Club of St. Petersburg, she engaged with local and expat business community to drive fundraisers and charitable events. As a Development and Business Engagement Director of “St. Petersburg Palaces” musical Foundation her role was to increase donor giving and organize lavish concerts with famous international musicians. In Shanghai she was an executive committee member of the Australian Women’s Association and actively involved in the annual Melbourne Cup charity event. With the Shanghai Expat Association (SEA) she served in the role of the editorial committee and contributing writer for the monthly magazine.
Constantine Orbelian
Board Member, San Francisco
Born in San Francisco to Russian and Armenian emigré parents, Constantine Orbelian made his debut as a piano prodigy with the San Francisco Symphony at the age of 11. After graduating from Juilliard in New York, he embarked on a career as a piano virtuoso that included appearances with major symphony orchestras throughout the U.S., U.K., Europe, and Russia. Internationally renowned American pianist and conductor, has been a central figure in Russia’s musical life for more than 25 years. As Music Director of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia of Russia, and frequent guest conductor with other illustrious Russian orchestras, he has toured internationally, and awarded the coveted title “Honored Artist of Russia,” a title never before bestowed on a non-Russian citizen. He has an acclaimed series of over 30 recordings on Delos among other achievements. Orbelian is the founder of the annual Palaces of St. Petersburg International Music Festival and has been awarded with multiple international honors and awards for his musical excellence. He is a four time Grammy Nominee in the category classical vocal/opera recording. In June 2016 Constantine Orbelian was appointed Artistic Director of the A. Spendiaryan National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Armenia, and in 2017 became its General Director.
Filippo Salza
Board Member, Rome
Born and raised in Rome, Italy, Filippo Salza initially followed classic studies in high school and then graduated in Computer Science and Engineering at the “Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza.” In the last 20 years he has been actively involved in the digital and tech landscape as mentor, advisor and investor of several startups and large scale projects in Europe and United States. Since 2015, after his digital media company was acquired by Motorsport Network, he has been involved in the international development of the automotive and racing media business of Motorsport Network. Since then he has been responsible for the M&A and launch initiatives that brought Motorsport Network to enter 20+ markets and now has a monthly reach of over 100 million visitors per month on its platforms. He currently lives between is beloved Rome and the cities of London and Miami where the Motorsport Network headquarters are located. Salza is today the President of automotive and racing at Motorsport Network.
Lucy Topalian
Board Member, Kuwait City
Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Lucia Topalian was educated in Armenian schools and attended Beirut University College (former LAU ). She was involved at AGBU’s sports and social clubs as well as in Vahram Papazian Theater as a stage make-up artist. She arrived to Kuwait in 1976, running away from the Lebanese civil war, started her career as a junior sales woman reaching to the top position of Deputy Managing Director of the local representative of Apple Computers. Her love and passion for art and her support to artists and art consultants led her to recognize the potential of a gallery. She joined Dar Al Funoon (an antique store) in 1997 with the sole objective to transform it to a contemporary art gallery. She has worked on exhibiting the works of celebrated artists from the Arab World and the Middle East such as Paul Guiragossian, Dhia Azzawi, Nja Mehdawi, Parviz Tanavoli, Reza Derakshani. She has advocated for young artists and even encouraged them to use Dar Al Funoon as a platform to launch their careers. Her patrons, public and private collectors included major museums such as Los Angeles County Museum, the British Museum, Barjeel Foundation (Sharjah) The Arab Fund (Kuwait). She settled in Yerevan in 2020.