January Photo of the Month

July Book Club Selection: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Aiken Bella Magazine Book Club July Book Club Selection: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James Summer is one of my favorite times to grab a fast-paced read. Our July Book Club choice is The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James. For those who are not familiar with St. James, she is master of the period ghost story. In The Sun Down Motel she hits the mark again with a chilling ghost-based mystery that straddles two time periods. In 1982 Vivian Delaney runs away from home with ambitions to move to New York City. However, she ends up in Fell, New York, alone, with her money running out

The Aiken Center for the Arts presents: “Burd Brain”

Marius Valdes, also known as Zoo Valdes, is known for creating a menagerie of lovable animals and whimsical creatures that pop off the page. Valdes, who teaches graphic design and illustration at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, will share his colorful characters in the main gallery at Aiken Center for the Arts while students are in camps this summer. These works, which are based on a children’s book the artist is working on, will give students insights into the process of creating art. “Burd Brain,” the children’s book he is writing and illustrating through a grant from the University of South Carolina, includes words and illustrations that tell

Our Flag | June 14, 2020

I’m known by many names: Old Glory The Stars and Stripes The Star Spangled Banner The Red White and Blue That Grand Old Flag I demand care, respect and honor. I stand for all that we citizens hold dear: Freedom and Democracy Our government — OF, BY, and FOR the People. That’s Us! I represent a living country. Citizen soldiers follow the flag into battle “Some carry the flag in peaceful protest And sometimes not so peaceful.” From that huge banner That flies over the Capitol Dome and in all 50 states, To the flag posted at the door of the most modest home, To the flag draped over a

The Edge of Creativity | Creative of the Month

“Let’s get a little crazy here.” Bob Ross Art and the creative world have always been important to both Bella and me personally, and with that, we have decided to introduce a new Creative each month. Not necessarily an Artist, but a Creative and, at least to me, it is important to note the difference between the two. Although I think Creatives are Artists, I do think using the title “Creatives” expands the series in an important way. Let’s take just a minute to explore the differences between Art, Artist, and Creative. “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Thomas Merton Art, according to