About Jackie
The Little Black Dog Gallery was
started by children's book author
Jackie French Koller. Jackie is the
author of over three dozen critically
acclaimed books for children and
young adults, as well as THE LIBERTY
POLE, a serialized novel which
appeared in the Boston Globe, the
New York Post, and many other
newspapers around the country.
Another of her novels, IF I HAD ONE
WISH, became the original Disney
channel movie, YOU WISH in 2003, To
learn more about Jackie's "other life"
visit her author site,
jackiefrenchkoller.com.
In addition to writing, Jackie has always
loved art in all its varied and wondrous
forms, but not until 2002 did she find the
time to study the medium of watercolor.
The joy she found in painting and the
pleasure that her works seemed to bring
to others prompted her to consider
showing and selling her work. One thing
led to another and soon the idea for the
Little Black Dog Gallery was born.
That is the Why. The Where
was easy. Jackie's dear friends
and neighbors, Joe and Donna
Shibley were the owners of
Pilgrim Candle in Westfield.
When Jackie approached them
about adding an Art Gallery to
the shops that already existed
in their beautiful, historic
buildings, they were totally
enthusiastic!
For years The Black Dog Gallery resided in the front rooms and long hall of the old
Marketplace, but in 2010 Jackie "retired" with her husband to Harvard, MA, where Jackie
now continues to paint and write. In the interim, Cassie, the "Little Black Dog" who gave her
name to the gallery passed away, and a new black dog, Tess, who is anything but little,
now helps provide the companionship and inspiration that Cass once provided, thus the
shortening of the name to just Black Dog Gallery. To learn more about the dogs, click here.