TEW Galleries History

   TEW Galleries came into being as Galerie Timothy Tew in 1987 when Timothy returned to Atlanta after spending a year in Paris.   He had been fascinated with French culture since he was in high school.  While in Paris he mastered French and came to appreciate art in a very new way with classes in drawing and art history and friendships he developed with artists. 

Timothy started in the art business by literally selling paintings to interior designers from the trunk of his car.  It was a BIG trunk and many people still remember him driving that 1968 Cadillac Sedan de Ville.   There was a brief stint exhibiting paintings in a Buckhead restaurant, Café Les Artistes where he also had an office.  In 1989 he opened his first independent space - a very small space at the TULA Art Center on Bennett Street. Two years later he expanded the gallery to 900 square feet. 

Over the next few years, Timothy added several exceptional artists from the United States, England and Germany, many of whom are still represented by TEW.  In 1996 the gallery moved to East Paces Ferry Road which would be home for the next ten years.  During this time Timothy added his first staff, and in 2002, expanded the exhibition area to 3,600 square feet.  During this time he was on the board of the Nexus Arts Center and Served as president of the board of Unity Midtown Church.

In 2003 several Atlanta gallery owners got together to restart the Atlanta Gallery Association with the goal of raising the profile of visual arts in the city. The association created ATLart(04), which debuted in January of 2004. For two years Timothy served as president.

In 2005 TEW Galleries moved into a building it purchased in The Galleries of Peachtree Hills adjacent to ADAC. The center is recognized as Atlanta's finest shopping district and features over thirty art and antique galleries and shops serving the interior design market.  The interior architecture of TEW's three story town home is distinctly cosmopolitan, yet comfortable and accessible to artists and collectors alike.  

In 2007 TEW Galleries proudly celebrated twenty years in business.

Timothy loves community and social life and he is a regular at parties and balls to support local arts organizations and charities.  In 2008 he joined the board of the Atlanta Ballet and in 2009, he his dear friend and client, Michelle Edwards Crosland, chaired the Atlanta Ballet Ball at the Piedmont Driving Club.

In 2009 Timothy launched an exciting new venture, The Timothy Tew Jewelry Collection.  The collection features antique and estate jewelry, with a special focus on pieces from the 1950s and 60s, an era he loves for its vibrant color, unique forms and innovative designs.   He is not a minimalist and he is working to bring back the joy of the "bauble". 

TEW Galleries continues to develop the careers of its artists, some who have been with the gallery for 22 years. 

The staff includes Jules Bekker, director, and Corky Davis

To find out more about the gallery staff.