Since its establishment in 1989, TEW Galleries has been dedicated to bringing unique artistic voices to collectors in Atlanta and beyond—first, focusing solely on French artists before expanding to England and other parts of Europe. Ultimately, the roster broadened to include new artists throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, creating a gallery aesthetic that aligns with late founder Timothy Tew’s very personal vision.
“As a gallery, we pride ourselves not on dictating an artist’s style but on choosing the very best work that each artist has to offer,” says Jules Bekker, who was brought on as gallery director in 2006, working closely with Tew and sales director Corky Davis until Tew’s death in 2024. “We cherry-pick from available pieces, bringing in only those works that we feel we can fully stand behind. This benefits our artists by raising their profile and our collectors because they can be comfortable that the pieces they purchase are vetted and of superior quality.”
That level of quality comes from several characteristics that the gallery seeks out. “We look for artists who have a very developed personal sense of direction in their practice and of who they are as creatives,” Bekker explains. “We review all artist submissions, but even if we appreciate an artist whose work has similarities to someone we show, we won’t take them on. Galleries must have respect for the artists they represent.”
TEW Galleries tends to select artists whose work has a contemporary approach but classical foundations. As Bekker says, these artists are masters of their craft, with a deep understanding of their medium. “We loosely follow a classic-contemporary dictum,” she explains. “We have artists whose work is purely abstract and some who focus on landscape or still life, others have technique that is as tight and fine as Dutch realist paintings, but the work they create is entirely their own. All approaches are distinctly rooted in each artist’s individual voice. The gallery focus is on work that will grace a very contemporary space or, conversely, a very traditional one with equal ease. We want work to have an intrinsic quality, even though we fully recognize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Artist Anne Hebebrand (top left) creates luminous paintings layered with rich color and texture. Self-taught intuitive painter Yasharel Manzy (bottom left) draws inspiration from the world around him and his love of classical music. Photographer and artist Mary Mackey (right) creates expressive abstract paintings shaped by her background in photography, printmaking and painting, as well as influences from post-war modernists and her experiences with Berlin’s historic East Side Gallery.
