Joelle Tomb

President

Joelle Tomb (she/her) was born in Lebanon in a family of artists. She grew up in her father’s art school, welcoming students, setting up and washing brushes. She did not have a formal arts education but art runs in her blood. When she moved to Boston, she quickly discovered the vibrant art community. She became involved with various arts organizations; as an honorary board member at ARCK and as a docent at the Institute of Contemporary Art. She has organized a number of public art projects; including “I am, We Are”; “Walls that speak” and the “Webster Court ‘Project’”. She helped in launching the Artist in Residence Program at Central Café. More recently, she joined the community of artists at the New Art Center. Joelle has been an advocate for the arts all her life.

Jessica Black

Vice President

A strategic and creative thinker with proven business and leadership skills, Jess Rivkin Black (she/her) has over 20 years expertise in event strategy, marketing, product, and content development.

In her role as the director of programming for the Conferences for Women (CFW), the largest network of women’s conferences in the United States, Jess works as an advocate for women and equity. Over the last decade, she has worked with thousands of speakers and experts to empower, inspire and foster the advancement of women in all aspects of work and in life. She also is a producer of the Women Amplified Podcast, featuring conversations with top Conference speakers and real women sharing real-world advice about issues that matter to working women today.

Jess has also founded two small businesses, Whimsical Wishes and Sweet Sisters, which allowed her to blend her entrepreneurial spirit and love for the arts.

She has held various positIons within the community – serving as PTO President, Chair of the Peirce Playground Project, and volunteering at Cradles to Crayons. She received a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from Clark University, lives in Newton, and is the mother of three.

Nicola Day

Vice President

Nicola Day (she/her) opened Hipstitch, a sewing and fiber studio located in West Newton, ten years ago when her daughter wanted to learn to sew and there was nowhere in Newton for her to get instruction. Hipstitch now has additional locations in Brookline and Wellesley. 

Landing on Nantucket from the UK 30 years ago, Nicola met her husband and settled in Newton to raise her family. She has designed pocket bags which have sold nationwide and is also the owner of a property management company on Nantucket.

“I’m the oldest of 14 children and have always sewed and loved creativity since I was a young girl. I fully support New Art’s mission and feel I can help bring my knowledge of running a profitable creative business to the New Art Center.”

Dewey Nichols

Executive Officer

Dewey Nichols (he/him) is an accomplished architect with over 30 years of experience working on Commercial, Residential and Retail Architecture and Interior Design Projects. A graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University and a licensed architect since 1990, Dewey began his private architectural practice in 2002, opening Nichols Design Group in Boston. Dewey’s passion for exploring his client’s needs, aspirations and values, creates unique architectural brands for each corporation or individual. Expertise in understanding the impact of architectural psychology, zoning and code, site design, form, function and materials, all contribute to proven success in his projects. Dewey’s responsive and sensible approach to the design and construction process, develops creative solutions that assure excellent design results, fitting his client’s values and needs as well as critical budgets and schedules.

Stephanie Boggs

Co-chair, New Art Advisory Board

As an art enthusiast, Stephanie makes a point to adorn her home and private-practice orthopaedic physical therapy office with work from artists with whom she has a personal connection. “I’ve got art all on my walls from my kids, students, counterparts, friends, and professionals I meet along the way. I’m a lover of art even though I’m not an artist.”  

A long-time member of the New Art community, Stephanie’s three children have all enjoyed classes at the Center. She is eager to demonstrate her dedication and commitment to the program as a member of the Board in efforts to expand the growth of the organization.

Maria Bunker

Treasurer

Maria Bunker is a CPA at Livingston & Haynes in Wellesley MA.  She has been a partner at the firm for many years and started her career there after graduating from Emmanuel College in Boston.  Maria also has a Masters in Accounting from Bentley College.  

“After my husband and I adopted our sons, Xander and Geovonni, we became very interested in making sure that they are immersed in cultural activities and the arts. Therefore, we want to do our part to support organizations like New Art that involve children in the arts. I’m excited about New Art’s future and am happy to help the Center achieve its goals as a member of the Board.”

Livia Q. Aber

Livia Q. Aber has over 25 years of experience as an employee benefits attorney. She has authored numerous articles, co-authored a book, and served as contributing editor to a law periodical. After a fulfilling career in the law, Livia is turning her attention to purpose-driven work, particularly with organizations dedicated to improving the lives of community members through education and art. Livia has also been appointed to the Newton Cultural Council. Livia also spends time volunteering at the Pao Arts Center in Chinatown and providing college counseling to high school students, many of whom are first generation students, through the College Access Program offered by the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center.

Aimee Anderson

A lover of modern art and a self-trained designer, Aimee (she/her) runs Aimee Anderson Design, an interior design and renovation consulting business. Her bespoke designs have been featured in many publications, including Modern Luxury, Rise, Coastal Design, and The Boston Globe. Aimee earned an MBA from Babson College and did her undergraduate work at Stonehill College.  

Before starting her design and renovation business, Aimee held various leadership level marketing roles in Boston-area start-ups for 16 years. She contributed to the success of several companies including m-Qube, SnapMyLife, IdeaLab, and The Grommet. 

Aimee resides in Newton with her husband and three children and believes “Everyone should have access to the arts!” Outside of  her design work, Aimee enjoys time boating in Maine, gardening, and yoga.

Nancy Bauer

Nancy Bauer is a professor of Philosophy at Tufts University specializing in feminist philosophy, phenomenology, and film studies. From 2012 to 2022, she served as a dean in the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts. When, in 2015, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, made the decision to transfer ownership of its historic art school, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA), to an academic partner, Bauer was called upon to develop Tufts’ vision for the project and ultimately became the inaugural dean of “SMFA at Tufts.” She is thrilled to report that, thanks to the amazing faculty and staff at SMFA, the school is now thriving.

In 2022, after ten years in academic administration, Bauer stepped down from her deanship to return to full-time writing and teaching. She is currently working on a book—part philosophy and part “dean confidential”—in which she reflects on the challenges currently facing academia and argues that managing them will require thinking the way that artists think.

Bauer has lived in Newton Highlands since 1991. She and her partner have four children, all of whom make art on a regular basis.

Lindsay Bentis

Lindsay Bentis is an Interior Designer, running a residential business, Thread Interiors, in Newton since 2006. Originally from Los Angeles, Lindsay arrived in Boston to attend the School of Fine Arts at Boston University, followed by a masters in painting at American University. After working on both coasts as a Visual Merchandiser, Stylist and Professor of Art, Interior Design seemed like a natural progression. Her work has been featured in Dwell, Boston Home Magazine, and The Boston Globe. In 2016 she was named Best of Boston For Family Friendly Interior Designer and received a Wayfair Trade Tastemaker Award. 

Lindsay has enjoyed the New Art Center for years as her three children have attended classes and camps. She is very excited to become immersed in helping the the New Art Center grow and develop deeper roots within the community.

Ken Calhoun

As Program Chair for Art and Graphic Design at Lasell University, Ken Calhoun (he/him) experiences first-hand the unique role art plays in our communities. “Art has the power to unite, to lift, to edify and  illuminate—to stir empathy and invite hope. Art is not a luxury; it’s a  necessity.” 

“I want to help the New Art Center as it strives to widen the circle, functioning as a kind of cultural campfire, providing light and warmth by bringing disparate communities together around an art-induced awareness of our common human qualities and principles. As a person of color, as an artist and educator, I can provide those who look like me, those who experience life adjacent to the dominant cultural narrative, an aspect of familiarity and evidence of belonging in a social space where they are not only welcome, but are much needed.” 

“I believe in the Center’s mission and I can think of no better way to support it, and the communities it seeks to serve, than by being directly involved.”

Nolla Haidar

Dr. Haidar was born in Lebanon and later moved to London to pursue her studies at the University of Surrey and Royal Holloway, University in London. After finishing her Ph.D., she moved to Boston where she is currently a professor at Boston University, specializing in marketing and international business. Alongside her academic role, Dr. Haidar serves as a mentor with SCORE, a national non-profit organization that aims at providing guidance and support to entrepreneurs and small business owners.

As a researcher and a marketing strategist, Dr. Haidar possesses a keen understanding of brand and personal marketing. While she might not have formal art experience, her passion and appreciation for various art forms, including luxury fashion brands, enable her creativity and expression in marketing.

Dr. Haidar’s dedication to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion is demonstrated through her role as a board member for DEI initiatives with the American Red Cross, which she has been serving for 2 years. She actively contributes her knowledge and suggestions to creating inclusive environments and promoting equality, ensuring that underrepresented communities are empowered and engaged in society.

Dr. Haidar is happily married and a dedicated mother who is highly compassionate. She aims at fostering creativity and creating a nurturing environment for artists to thrive and freely express themselves through their art.

Robin Hicks

Dr. Robin Hicks (she/her) practices medicine at Framingham Pediatrics. As a college student at Duke University she studied biology and art. She attended art school for one year during this time. While mostly working for the past 20+ years, she returned to painting and drawing a few years ago. She has been a dedicated student at the New Art Center for over 3 years, taking a variety of classes. In her spare time Robin paints, draws, and studies Portuguese. She is also an avid reader.

Alison Meyer Hong

Alison Meyer Hong is a native of Newton where she currently resides with her husband and two teenage sons. She is passionate about community service and has coordinated service programs as well as volunteered extensively including at Breakthrough Greater Boston, Birthday Wishes, About Fresh and the Newton Food Pantry. She served on the Board for Wondermore and on the Corporation for Beacon Academy. Her professional background is in college admissions and college counseling in a variety of settings.
In addition to volunteering, she manages The Young Authors Foundation, a small educational foundation that provides grants to nonprofits that supports literacy and arts programs for students in underserved communities. She looks forward to contributing to the Board of the New Art Center through her commitment to service and desire to make the arts more accessible to a broader community.

Donnalyn Kahn

Donnalyn is a partner in the firm Kahn & Smagula LLP, concentrating in school law, cemeteries and zoning.  She served in the Law Department for the City of Newton for 20 years, and was the first woman to hold the position of City Solicitor, managing 10 attorneys.  Donnalyn also had a background in advertising in Chicago and New York City.  She loves languages and speaks French and German.

Donnalyn appreciates the changing art of photography.  Her 1877 house in Newton has galleries of photographs taken by members of the Kahn family.  Her 2 daughters both attended classes at the New Art Center and she is excited to become involved in the Center’s mission.

Michael Kaufman

Michael Kaufman is a Senior Project Manager with over thirty years of professional practice in design, project management, owner representation and real estate development. His experience includes housing, institutional and commercial projects in new construction, renovation and re-use. Clients rely on Mr. Kaufman for his team leadership and management skills, cross-disciplinary knowledge and ability to bring out the best in his professional colleagues. As an architect and owner’s representative, his responsibilities have included institutional, commercial, educational, medical, and residential projects.

Prior to joining DHK, Mr. Kaufman founded and ran a project management practice for over twenty years, and worked for several real estate development companies and architecture firms in the Boston area.

Yvette Leeson

Yvette Leeson, a self-proclaimed foodie and seasoned communications professional, has held many positions over the last 20 years within the human services, finance, magazine publishing, digital marketing, and biotechnology industries. Currently she is a Regulatory Operations Manager at Vericel Corporation and manages both clinical and commercial dossiers for advanced cell therapies for sports medicine and severe burn care.

Yvette was raised in Newton but was born in NYC and enjoyed many years in her thirties working in the city for Goldman Sachs, Bon Appétit magazine, Condé Nast Publications and eMusic.com. Before hitting the Big Apple she worked in Boston as a Creative Director for State Street Corporation. She enjoys traveling with family and friends and experiencing new and unique ethnic culinary delights.

An avid photographer since age seven when her dad taught her how to use a Pentax camera, Yvette still loves photography, especially capturing portraits of friends and family. Yvette loved her glass fusing and Shibori classes at the New Art Center and was thrilled to further connect with the arts community as a member of the Board of Governors. She currently lives in Belmont with her baseball-loving teenager who tests her stamina every day asking for a puppy.

Kym Long

Kym grew up in Florida where she was always drawn to the creative in spite of little exposure as a child. Her passion for art has been an important part of who she is and how she views the world. Kym is a graduate with a BA in Fine Arts from Florida State University, majoring in Interior Design.  Her work in Frankfurt, Germany included designing exhibition fairs for companies such as Nestle, Villeroy and Boch and EuroDisney.  After moving to Boston she worked for the  architectural firms ADD Inc and Kenneth Hurd & Associates specializing in hotel design.  Kym’s projects included the Waldorf Astoria, Barclay InterContinental and the Fontainebleau.  A Newton resident for over 25 years, after quitting her paying job, she has concentrated on raising her three sons while actively being involved in student and community organizations throughout the city.  For many years she has enjoyed taking classes at the New Art Center.  Her passions are painting, history, travel and outdoor adventures.

Roberta Martone

Roberta has 25-plus years of experience in corporate/agency marketing communications, advertising, and public relations. In 1999, she formed i.communicate and has been a freelance writer/editor/consultant to clients in the higher education, beauty, healthcare, high tech, consumer, nonprofit, and the home/build sector since then. As a freelance writer, she has been published in Forbes, The Boston Globe, Boston Spirit, Shattered magazine, Parents & Kids magazine, Boston Parents Paper, COMMUNITY (Newton, Brookline, and MetroWest) magazines, Wicked Local, and the TAB newspapers.

Roberta fosters her passion for art and art history by attending painting, drawing, and mixed media classes at the New Art Center as well as memberships at the MFA and Isabelle Stewart Gardner museums. She has been a member of the Newton Free Library Spring Fling committee since 2010, where she helps plan its annual event. Roberta is a member of various marketing organizations, has a B.A. degree in journalism/English, and an M.Ed. degree in guidance and psychological services. She recently received her home staging certification and is pursuing additional studies in design. Roberta moved to Newton in 1983, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Annie Newman

Raised and educated in Chicago, Annie (she/her) was surrounded by creative people, cultural activities, and a dynamic visual landscape. She pursued an undergraduate degree in art history, a masters of architecture degree, and ultimately, a two-decade career in design. Annie also did strategic communications work for the development office at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. 

Today, Annie is committed to making and promoting art. She regularly enrolls in art classes, exhibits, and plays an active role in community art organizations. “As a novice painter, I understand firsthand the role institutions like the New Art Center play for  emerging artists.”

Annie has been collaborating on public art projects in Wellesley for nearly a decade through the Public Art Committee, the Art in the Park Steering Committee, and during Covid, co-founded Art Wellesley, an organization committed to promoting the arts in the community. 

Kristen Franks Perullo

Since 2017, Kristen has co-produced the Boston Calling Music Festival at the Harvard University Athletic Complex, acting as their Director of Public Affairs. Through her leadership, Boston Calling has partnered with many community non-profits businesses and local schools. She also is the VP of Business Development for the Novus Group, a strategic business consulting group in downtown Boston.

Kristen spent the first 15 years of her career working in various roles in municipal, state and Federal government.

During this time she helped co-found Sage Systems, one of the leading providers of web-based campaign management software. Sage’s ListManager tool empowered thousands of campaigns across the country to make data driven micro-targeting decisions. Kristen worked directly with clients to develop and customize their personal CRM platforms based on her own experiences working as a legislative aide for many years.

Kristen also launched Sage Cares, the philanthropic arm of the company, which supported non-profits like Room to Grow, the Brian Honan Charitable Fund, Best Buddies & the MA Down Syndrome Congress.

Kristen currently resides in Newtonville, with her two children, Olivia (13) and Jack (10). A native Bostonian, she graduated from Boston College and Boston Latin School.

Kate Ploussios

Kate loves to combine her passion for art and design with her organizational skills.    

While raising her two (now teenage) sons, she returned to her abstract painting and photography.  As Creative Consultant for Hipstich, she develops new art, sewing and design programs, has taught students of all ages, and co-designed two new studios for Hipstitch.  She recently launched her own interior decorator business, KP Design, which specializes in creating spaces for better living.

Kate taught classes at the Dayton Institute of Art after graduating with a BA in Photography and a minor in Art History from University of Dayton. After moving back to the Boston area, she worked in Human Resources for 15 years before tackling raising her children.  Kate resides in Newton with her husband, two sons, dog, and two rabbits.  

Sami Wakim

Sami Wakim (he/him), born and raised in Beirut (Lebanon), is the founder and editor of Street Art United States (streetartunitedstates.com), a platform dedicated to street art culture, where he engages more than 200,000 followers world wide on social media.  He has interviewed hundreds of artists and documented their work, making it possible for these artists to share their imagery and ideas with a wider community.  Street Art United States’ mission is to support street artists in instilling a sense of hope and history through creative expression. Sami manages a group of like-minded bloggers and activists voicing their opinions, through Street art, on current events, such as poverty, injustice, racism, Homophobia, corruption, gentrification and consumerism… Sami has also organized a couple of street art murals in the Boston area and has hosted local and international artists who have contributed to the flourishing street art community in the city.

Mira Genser Woods

With almost 30 years of marketing experience, Mira (she/her) runs operations at MG Communications, which is a full service boutique agency focused on strategic marketing communications, corporate positioning, public relations, event management, and content development. 

As the founder of MG Communications, Mira has done award-winning work for Fortune 50 to early stage venture capital-backed companies. 

Away from the office Mira enjoys skiing, golfing, adventure travel, and collecting modern contemporary art. She serves as an active member on various non-profit boards, and is a founding member of SheGives, a Boston-based philanthropic foundation. Mira has also served on many other boards and regional organizations such as Hebrew SeniorLife, Best Buddies, and her alma mater University of Vermont. 

Mira is married with 2 children and she remains active in both of her daughters’ school activities and fundraising efforts. Both her parents were involved in the art world and she grew up going to modern contemporary art auctions in New York for Christie’s and Sotheby’s. She now enjoys discovering new artists and visiting galleries wherever she travels.