Dear Friends,
It is with great joy that we introduce, as new owner of Bluerock Gallery, Tarek Nemr. Many of you have already met Tarek, as he joined our "family" in June 2018. He quickly became one of our key employees, and in September we approached him to see if he would be interested in becoming the new owner of the gallery. As many of you know, we've been quite public about our intention to find a new owner - and we've waited for the right person to show up. We feel confident in Tarek's capacities and abilities - as well as his passion for the gallery and continuing it on in the same spirit.
Frankly, Tarek amazes us. The combination of his nimble mind and active curiosity along with his strength of character and good heart comprise a constellation of traits we’ve rarely met with.
Over the past several months we’ve watched Tarek navigate everything from major life decisions to meeting the challenges posed by his having to learn to work in the gallery environment. We’ve heard stories of his life journey and questioned him deeply on his life before coming to Canada. In all of this he has shown himself to be a person who has met a series of life challenges we can scarcely conceive of, and he has done so with aplomb, courage, and an exceptional attention to the ethical and moral dimensions of those challenges.
It is because of this that we think the prospect of Tarek carrying Bluerock Gallery forward touches all of us so deeply. Of all the stellar staff Karen and Chris have had the good fortune to work with over the years, Tarek stands out as the one who, in our eyes, is most likely to be able to move the Gallery along to its next iteration.
The Gallery is much more than simply a business undertaking, and not only to Karen and Chris. There is in addition a broad community of artists, patrons, and staff that deeply appreciates the qualities of warmth and inclusion the Gallery affords.
Karen and Chris have been patient in waiting for the most propitious circumstances for passing the Gallery along. We see that coming to fruition with Tarek’s interest in dedicating himself to furthering the Gallery as a thriving meeting place of creativity, beauty, and befitting profitability.
Tarek will be taking over as the new owner of Bluerock Gallery on January 1st, 2019. Tarek intends to continue the gallery in the same spirit to which we have been committed - representing stellar quality regional artists, creating a gallery of inspiring beauty, offering stellar customer service, both in the gallery and if purchasing online.
Karen and Chris will both continue to be involved in mentoring and advising in an ongoing way for the forseeable future.
Please join us on December 29, 2018, for our Customer Appreciation Day and enjoy 20% off your purchases. We will be saying goodbye as owners, and you will have a chance to meet Tarek. There will be refreshments all day, and a small ceremony and talk at 5pm. Come for any part of the day that works for you and we look forward to seeing you!
(If you can't make it in person, you can enjoy the 20% discount with online purchases when you use LOVE20 as the code when you checkout. This code will only work on December 29th.)
Chris, Karen, Desta, Tarek, Shelly, Annika in July 2018
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