NEDC LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: JOËLLE TOMB

At NEDC, our ongoing mission is to showcase the talents of professionals and artists within the vibrant Boston community.

With nearly two decades of experience in the city, our focus on luxury, sustainable architectural design-build naturally aligns with the realms of art, finance, and luxury real estate. Joëlle Tomb exemplifies this intersection perfectly.

Born in a family of artists, Joëlle’s (late) grandfather, father and sister are all artists with Middle Eastern/Lebanese roots.   Her father lives between Montreal and Lebanon and her sister lives in Montreal.  Joëlle grew up surrounded by music, poetry, and visual art—much of it created by her family.  Joëlle’s parents created an art school in Lebanon where Joelle and her siblings would help as teenagers.  

Joëlle moved to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when she was young, living with her parents and three young siblings in the Kingdom before its modern era of open borders and technical innovation.   Her family immigrated from KSA to Montreal where she spent much of her childhood and young adult years before returning to post civil-war Lebanon in 1994 where she would master French and nurture a growing passion for education.  

Joëlle returned to Lebanon for her higher education—obtaining an undergraduate degree in hospitality.  After graduation, she returned to Canada at the age of 21. She then worked in hospitality, pursuing and obtaining a master’s in education from the University of Montreal.  

In 2007 Boston called—and Joëlle moved to our great city where she assumed a role as an Adjunct Professor of French and taught in several institutions including MIT and Northeastern University. Exploring the Boston art scene, she toured all major museums and art venues, fully immersing herself in the city’s rich cultural offerings.

Then came Newton Centre—Joëlle and her husband had purchased a historic Victorian home built in the 1800s.  Due to historical and zoning considerations they were unable to adapt or modify the property—having to hold onto it for at least one year.

During this period, Joëlle embarked on a creative endeavor by enlisting a graffiti artist to teach both herself and her children this expressive art form within their Newton home. Transforming the home’s interior into their canvas, they infused vibrant joy and color into its walls.

From this endeavor emerged an idea of using the home to help foster and showcase local emerging artists.  Mark Cooper – professor at the SMFA (School of the Museum of Fine Arts) and renowned international artist helped guide the idea and make it a reality.  

Four students of his emerged to work with Joëlle and her husband on this project—exploring concepts of home.   Within the home students were invited to create specific art installations within each space as well as explore performance art. Students were able to showcase their work, sell their art on the spot, and be afforded an opportunity to further work with galleries.   Based on this success, they repeated the event, drawing 1,000 or so guests. 

Joëlle then invited two of the leading students from this project to work in her family’s Newton gastropub—at the time known as Central (since rebranded) essentially establishing a unique artist in residency program within the restaurant to help support and launch artists. 

Discovering Joëlle Tomb: An Artist’s Profile

Joëlle served as a docent at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston for three years and facilitated various public art projects.   She is currently the Board President of the New Art Centre and is on the Advisory board of ARCK (Art Resource Collaborative for Kids).  Joelle also presides over the Fouad & May Foundation for the Arts, her family’s international art platform dedicated to preserving the family’s artistic heritage and promoting art for humanity. 

Joëlle’s first solo exhibition took place in Newton City Hall (2019), and since then she has participated in several group shows both locally and internationally.  Her curatorial work includes, Mehswar “A Painter’s Return” (2022) at the Nearby Gallery in Newton, MA; Meshwar of an artist from Palestine to Lebanon: Dialogue between two generations; Maroun & Fouad Tomb (2023) at Dar El Nimer for Arts & Culture in Beirut, Lebanon, and Aswat: Elevating Arab Women Voices (2023) at the New Art Center in Newton, MA. Currently she is working on the Lost Paintings project with an international curatorial group on an exhibition involving 53 contemporary artists. 

You can listen to Joëlle’s interview and the full story on the Cherry Bomb Podcast here.

And here: 

The Artful Leader Episode 210: How to Honor your Heritage and Leave a Legacy with Joelle Tomb

Joëlle Tomb and Luxury Real Estate

Joëlle now works in high-end real estate—specifically in the Newton /Chestnut Hill area, which she’s been doing for nearly five years.  She works with Engel & Völkers, a knowledgeable and elegant European brand with a sizeable global network.  

Joëlle develops authentic relationships with people and helps them connect with their forever home in a meaningful way. There is a beauty in this similar to introducing a collector with a beautiful piece of art. 

While Joëlle knows Newton/Brookline/Chestnut Hill area intimately as a mother, professional and resident, she has sold all over Boston for her clients.  

She provides a concierge service for her clients, introducing them to her network of local resources ranging from educational and medical resources to the best local Lebanese eateries. 

Off market matches are her favorite! 

 Art and people are her passion – the Engel & Völkers luxury real estate network affords her a platform to connect both naturally.  

When you deal with Joëlle, expect an educated, warm intelligence, one that is clearly passionate about uniting people, art and refined dwellings.

Joëlle is deeply engaged in her community, serving as President of two foundations. She holds the position of Board President at the New Art Centre in Newton and another foundation in Lebanon, dedicated to preserving and advancing her family’s artistic heritage.

The arts complement her real estate practice, and vice versa, creating a harmonious alignment between the two endeavors.

Joelle Tomb 

Advisor 

9561824 

Shop: Engel & Völkers Wellesley 

One Abbott St. 

Languages Spoken: Arabic, French, Spanish 

joelle.tomb@evrealestate.com

6175157878

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelle-tomb-70b5b9/

One of Joelle’s current listings in Newton

NEW ENGLAND DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

WHO WE ARE

 At NEDC we are a team of 24 architects, interior designers and project managers dedicated to the legacy of the architect as a Master Builder.  We specialize in architectural designbuild home remodels with an emphasis on sustainable design.  Our client footprint spans Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Cambridge, Somerville and the greater GBA and Boston’s Metrowest.  We work closely with luxury real estate advisors to assist the service of their clients when a home design and remodel ties into the home purchase or sale.  We also do complimentary lunch and learn educational seminars with luxury real estate offices to help educate their advisors on architectural design build and how we can assist them to close and service their clients.  

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2. 617 474 0309 

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