MEET JEANNIE!
Jeannie Guthrie, Zig Zag’s owner, is an artist and art teacher specializing in Process Art in which students are encouraged to problem-solve and hone critical thinking skills rather than focus on the finished product. She is passionate about the benefits of building creative confidence at a young age.
In 2013, Miss Jeannie’s back porch turned into an outdoor art studio for toddlers and pre-schoolers. In 2016, she opened Guthrie Studio to host after-school art classes, camps and craft nights. Three years later, Guthrie Studio became ZIG ZAG!
Our first class in 2013
Miss Jeannie holds a BFA from Sewanee, The University of the South, and a Masters in Education Administration from the University of Alabama. She taught in public elementary schools in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Little Rock for 12 years. She loves the outdoors and food. Her two daughters, Clare and Alice, enjoy making messes and art projects as much as she does.
Meet the Teachers
JESSICA McSPADDEN
Jessica McSpadden is an artist and art educator with over 15 years experience working in art education. She started creating as a child and was lucky enough to have parents who believed the best way for her to learn was by exploring and creating messes. She brings this same philosophy to teaching, allowing her students to create and explore each medium at their own pace. Jessica is the first through fifth grade art teacher at Episcopal Collegiate Lower School and the proud dog mom to Fritz and Packer.
KRISTIN WYATT
Kristin Wyatt landed her dream job at Zig Zag after meeting Jeannie playing tennis in 2021. She has been a school teacher for 22 years and has been teaching art for the past ten years. She is a self-taught artist (Kristin McCaslin ART), has three kids, three dogs, and is married to Jason Wyatt. Everything about Zig Zag is just magical and it's her very favorite place to be!
JULIA CASTERLINE
Julia Casterline is a chronic tinkerer who believes in the power of PLAY. Through her experience as a mom and educator at Jefferson Elementary, Julia has learned how to turn fun into art. When she’s not at Zig Zag or school, she’s wife to Lee and mom to three kids, one cat, and 6 moody chickens.
ANNIE SCHMIDT
Meet Your Artist & Instructor “Ms. Annie” Rayanne Schmidt . Is an artist, educator, and certified herbalist, rooted in humble beginnings in Little Rock. Her creative journey started on 20 acres outside the metro area with her hard-working entrepreneurial parents. Her dad was a craftsman, handyman, wood worker and mechanic. Her mother played a pivotal role in their business handling administrative, accounting and marketing, simultaneously nurturing the artist in all. She has 25 years of teaching experience across diverse settings including artist studios, academies, and private instruction. Acrylics, oil, watercolor, mixed media, ink, pencil, charcoal, clays and ceramics are some of the mediums she uses during instruction. To her classes and events she brings skill, warmth, and passion. She graduated Magna cum Laude from UALR where she studied Fine Art and Spanish, with additional study abroad at the Universidad de Costa Rica. During her art career she has assisted artists in curating and managing exhibitions and taught in Ventura, Malibu, Santa Monica, and Venice, California. She taught for Paint Lab LLC, The Realm Creative Academy, Blue Ridge Academy, and St. Joseph Early Learning Academy. She’s created a project-based curriculum fusing art and science for all ages.
PIPER KEIZER
Piper Keizer is an experienced elementary educator with a passion for inspiring creativity in young learners. With over 20 years of teaching, she specializes in integrating hands-on, engaging art projects that help students explore self-expression and build confidence. She believes that every child is an artist and enjoys guiding students as they discover their unique artistic voices in a fun and supportive environment.