About us

Wellfleet Preservation Hall is a vibrant cultural center that uses the transformational power of the arts to bring people together and impact positive change. We are community center that celebrates all people from all backgrounds and walks of life.

With the help of the remarkable WPH team, volunteers, and contributors, the hall has a decade-long tradition of creating programs that foster community engagement, inclusivity, and radical artistic expression. 

Wellfleet Preservation Hall, formerly the site of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is the visionary and creative reuse of a century old church. Beautifully restored with modern amenities, today the Hall serves as a hub for art, culture, and community in the heart of Wellfleet village all year round.

We recognize the land Wellfleet Preservation Hall occupies is the Native homelands of the Wampanoag Nation and we pay homage to the traditional territory in our Land Acknowledgment statement.

Staff

Kate Ryan
Executive Director

Originally from New York, Kate moved to Eastham as a young child, and spent her formative years running around beaches and working in restaurants on the Cape. After attending Nauset Regional High School,  Kate graduated with honors from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut with degrees in Communications and English Literature, and minors in International History and Psychology. Always one to keep busy, Kate used those degrees to land a job at ESPN in programming during her senior year at Quinnipiac. (No one needed to know she hadn’t actually graduated yet!)  After her fair share of the corporate world, Kate taught English overseas in the Czech Republic before returning home to teach middle school English for nearly a decade. Now settling into a new career, Kate is eager and excited to apply her varied experiences and leadership to the Hall. Kate lives in Brewster with her husband, Jamie, and their dog, Lucky. 

 
 

Erica Cranden, Associate Director

While Erica was born and raised in New Jersey, she has spent every summer soaking up the salty sea air on Cape Cod. She graduated from The College of New Jersey with degrees in both English and education, and was a middle school English teacher for nearly fifteen years. She holds a masters of fine arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts in writing for children and young adults, and is the author of three young adult novels. Erica has done everything from being a hostess at a restaurant, to selling fancy British dishware, and she plans to bring all the skills she’s acquired to her new position at Wellfleet Preservation Hall. She is a lover of books, a trail explorer, and an avid whale watcher. She lives in Eastham with her dog, Arrow.

 
 

Board 

The board of WPH is deeply committed to sustaining a high level of support and involvement along with sound fiscal management to maintain the quality and range of offerings at the Hall, retain the aesthetic and care of the facility and move forward in our mission.

Claire Sokoloff and Dale Rheault Co-Chairs
Karen Schichlone Treasurer
Moira Meehan Clerk

Lisa Bergeron David Blackman Deanna Fulp Amy Marr Ellynne Skove
Katherine Wibby