Brick Wall Painted on the Interior of Jacki Kellum Studios –about 20′ long and 10′ tall From the first time I viewed what has become Jacki Kellum Studios, I was intrigued by the mural painted on the brick wall that is currently inside my new arts space. I immediately realized that this mural must have…
Month: August 2025
Coffee & Books at Jacki Kellum Studios in Water Valley, MS
When I lived in towns larger than Water Valley, one of my favorite ventures was to go to a large, cozy bookstore that sold coffee and pastries. One of my goals is to provide a bit of that experience at my new arts space: Jacki Kellum Studios & School of Arts. A necessary ingredient for…
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit – Read Chapters 3 & 4
3 At noon of that same day in the first week of August, Winnie Foster sat on the bristly grass just inside the fence and said to the large toad who was squatting a few yards away across the road, “I will, though. You’ll see. Maybe even first thing tomorrow, while everyone’s still asleep.” It…
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit – Read Chapter 2
Chapter 2 “And so, at dawn, that day in the first week of August, Mae Tuck woke up and lay for a while beaming at the cobwebs on the ceiling. At last she said aloud, “The boys’ll be home tomorrow!” Mae’s husband, on his back beside her, did not stir. He was still asleep, and…
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit – Read the Prologue and Chapter 1
Prologue “The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of…
Throwback Thursdays Book & Movie Club Meets ThisThursday August 21 – Readings from Tuck Everlasting Included in This Post
The first meeting of the Throwback Thrsday Book & Movie Club will be this Thursday Night, August 21, from 6:30 – 8:30. at Jacki Kellum Studios = 26 South Main – in Water Valley, MS Throwback Thursdays is an adult-only club. I’ll serve tea, water, and coffee. If anyone prefers wine, he or she should…
Miss Jacki’s Favorite Songs & Dances for Story Hours – Free Story Time at Jacki Kellum Studios
I am thrilled that Sydney Hanson, who illustrated my picture book,The Donkey’s Song, also illustrated the book version of Raffi’s Rise and Shine. Because I truly love children’s books, I will be selling both new and old books at Jacki Kellum Studios. I’ll be selling new copies of all of Raffi’s books: Songs to Read….
Free Weekly Saturday Story Hours Every Saturday Morning at Jacki Kellum Studios – Take a Peek at the September Titles
Jacki Kellum Telling a Story at Square Books Jr, in Oxford Free Story Hour Every Saturday Morning at 9:30 26 South Main Street | Water Valley, Mississippi Most people in Water Valley do not realize this, but before I moved back to the South, I was a professional storyteller in New Jersey. Because I love…
The Artist’s Way on Wednesdaya – A Free Offering in the Jacki Kellum Studios Breakfast Club — A Program for Blocked Creatives
Before I tell you about the Free Breakfast Club offering for Wednesdays, [The Wednesday Way], I want to share a true story with you: Image Credit: Julia Cameron on Amazon A few years ago, I couldn’t force myself to write or to paint. After my spirit had previously suffered several blows, I had become creatively…
Tuesdays with Tomie – Jacki Kellum Studios Free Breakfast Club Program – Practicing Turning Our Memories into Picture Books – Begins September 9, 2025
For too many reasons to name, Children’s Literature is my favorite genre to read and study. While Tomie de Paola is not my favorite Picture Book Creator, he is the best I know to study to learn to turn memories into picture books. Because de Paola is both a prolific writer and an illustrator, he…