TEW Galleries Staff
Timothy Tew, President
 Photo by Bard Wrisley |
Timothy Tew is a Texas native who has lived in Georgia since age two. He grew up first in Columbus, Georgia, and at the age of 9 moved to the Atlanta suburbs. His interests included studying piano and while in high school; his interest in art, beauty, and all things French was aroused.
Timothy graduated with a B.A. in music from Shorter College in Rome, GA in 1981. He studied with piano professor Elizabeth von Buday, a formidable Hungarian immigrant who taught him that it takes an abundance of discipline and work to succeed. In the process he realized he was not a musician and that his love of all beautiful things was leading him in another direction. He enrolled in the Art Institute of Atlanta, and in 1982, received a Certificate in Interior Decoration and Design. After working for several years in the home furnishings industry, he decided to move to Paris to pursue his dream of living there and gaining a first hand understanding of French culture.
He lived in Paris for a year, studying French, and also took courses in art history and drawing. Spare time was used to roam the city and museums looking at art and beautiful objects. He lived in the lively Paris neighborhood of Montparnasse in the home of a very eccentric elderly woman who had traveled the world. They developed a strong bond and she made sure he was aware of the rigors of French culture and that he learned to speak French correctly.
During his sojourn in Paris, Timothy met several artists. The belief in their art and the desire to help them became the foundation of his future business. In 1987 he returned to Atlanta where he began to promote the artists and establish a clientele. The rest of the story is the evolving history of the gallery.
Jules Bekker, Director
Jules Bekker was born in Durban, South Africa. She grew up in Kloof, a suburb situated in the cool hills above the coastal belt, and on her parent's cattle ranch near Kranskop. Bekker received her Bachelors of Fine Art in Art History and Painting from what is now the Natal College of Arts and Technology. After graduating she returned to college for another three years to study Commercial Photography.
In 1990 Jules joined the Lowe Gallery in Atlanta and became Gallery Director later that year. In late 1992 she joined a small publishing company as Publications Director. She later transitioned into magazine publishing and worked her way through the ranks, beginning in the Circulation Department in early 1995, was named Creative Director in 1997 and in 2000 became Vice President in charge of Circulation, Creative and Production. In 2001 she was promoted to Vice President / Publisher. In 2003 the company was sold to HPC Corporation in Chicago and re-incorporated as Bayview Publishing. Bekker continued working in the capacity of Executive Editor / Publisher until the operation was relocated to Wisconsin in late 2004.
She joined TEW Galleries in April 2005 as Gallery Director. Here she oversees day-to-day gallery business, writes, edits, produces the print and on-line magazine, and develops and produces marketing strategies and collateral, including advertising and public relations efforts. She is actively involved all aspects of curation and in sales and market development.
Corky Davis, Sales Director
Corky Davis was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1957. He received his BS in microbiology and animal science from the University of Texas and his BSN in nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio, Texas. He moved to Atlanta in 1986 and began his career in nursing. A long-standing love of art and the establishment of his own art collection brought him to the gallery world and to TEW Galleries in 1998; he has been sales director since 2004. In addition, his job entails working closely with the artists to arrange the selection of pieces for each show, the hanging of each show and maintaining the gallery's close relationship with clients by finding specific works for them or pairing them with artists. Corky enjoys travel and often combines this with his work. He has spent time with the artists in their studios in London, Paris, New York and Santa Fe critiquing and selecting art for of their shows.