This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

For most people whose roots run deep in the Mississippi Gulf Coast the decision to return after Katrina was an easy one. For Julie Williams Mello, who moved to Bay St. Louis in 2005 just prior to the storm, the desire to return was equally strong. She was originally drawn to the quiet coastal town and its growing art community but the bond she and her husband formed with neighbors and friends in the days and months following Katrina strengthened her resolve to make Bay St. Louis her permanent home.
Julie Williams Mello was born in California but spent much of her childhood in Paris, France with her missionary parents. Upon her return to America, she attended San Jose State University in California and began painting. She has lived in the French Quarter of New Orleans and the East Milage in New York where she refined her creative style. Julie’s travels in Mexico and her interest in the Mayan culture also influence her work.
Julie currently works in acrylics and paper on canvas or recycled wood, also under the name Jana. She works in jewelry, hat and costume design as well as graphic design, digital photography and film. Her studio, the “Art Shack” is in Bay St. Louis.
“The rebuilding of the bridge is a symbol of hope for all of us.
When 1 heard the call for artists, 1 found it to be an opportunity for me to connect with my community and move forward as an artist.” Her image for the bridge is of an Indian maiden - a keeper of the bay, the spirit of strength and resilience in the face of adversity.