Who Are We?
We are a collective of like-minded teachers working together toward a common goal. Founders, Adam and Christie, are teachers and parents. They have been teaching children and adults for almost 20 years and are passionate about creating curricula that educates while building confidence, meeting students where they are, and, most importantly, keeping learning natural and fun.
Christie has been teaching arts and music and creating classes in the Atlanta and Decatur, GA areas since 1999. With a degree in psychology, a minor in early childhood education and graduate work in organizational development, she loves building communities of learners by working with talented, compassionate people and helping them bring their passions to others. Christie loves to travel, read, and learn from her daughters. When you can't find her, she may be hiding out trying to finish her first novel.
Adam, originally from Rye Brook, New York and a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, has been playing music in Atlanta since 1996. His natural talents and years of training (since age 6!) and experience shine through in his love of all things music. Adam has brought his enthusiasm and unique spirit to his music students since he turned in his suit and tie and left his management position at Coca-Cola in 1998. Adam loves to travel, geocache and accompany his daughters singing when they will let him.
Meet Our Staff
All teachers are background checked and fingerprinted.
Cullen _ Assistant Director
Cullen is a comic artist, illustrator, and art teacher who specializes in capturing human emotion, quirkiness, and unique details in her stories and characters. As a teacher, she strives to bring out the best in her students by focusing on their individual needs and styles. She has a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Emory University and a MFA in Sequential Art from SCAD Atlanta. Her artwork has appeared in Action Lab’s “Princeless" series as well as multiple self-published short comics, coloring books, and anthologies. She loves brush pens and warm colors, and she loves to draw empowered girls and unique natural environments.
Nancy
Nancy came to Spunky Arts shortly after graduating from SCAD-Atlanta in 2013 with a major in Sequential Art. Her knowledge of the comic field combined with an enthusiastic interest in her students' storytelling prowess propels the Comics and Character Creation program. She believes everyone and anyone can make comics, and that she is there to help them tell their stories to their readers. Nancy teaches students preschool through high school. She also moderates the Comics Club programs.
Bayete
Baye'te is a graduate student studying animation and motion design at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Along with his experience in fine arts, he is a professional animator, having worked on Paradise PD, Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Plantasm, and Koala Man just to name a few. In his spare time, he likes playing soccer with the local clubs, hiking, and cooking. Our students love Mr. B.!
Tia
Architect, Artist, instructor
J.P. has been sketching and painting since he could hold a pencil. His love and passion for art and design eventually led him to architecture school, where he became an architect eventually specializing in healthcare and R&D design. He also taught design workshops at universities and institutions both in the U.S. and abroad.
After retiring, he shifted his focus back to painting especially watercolor and began teaching classes and taking on commissioned work.
His paintings have been exhibited and sold through a number of galleries, including the NIH Clinical Center Art Gallery in Maryland, and the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, where his work was juried in alongside pieces by other artists.
Though he’s worked with oil, acrylic, and other media, watercolor has always held a special place for him. He’s drawn to the looseness and unpredictability of it—the way it invites you to let go a little and see what happens.
He lives in Decatur, Ga, with his family, where he continues to paint, teach.
Jean-Patrice (J.P.) Khoshbin
Tia is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator, and designer born and raised in South Carolina.
Tia earned a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the College of Charleston (Class of 2019) and a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta (Class of 2024). With a background that blends fine art and digital design, she creates work that is both conceptually rich and visually engaging—bringing stories to life across print and digital platforms.
Her creative work is deeply inspired by many elements of Southern life—centered around themes of lifestyle, surrealism, spirituality, and femininity. She explores these concepts through character design, book and fashion illustration, and graphic design, using visual storytelling as a tool to connect, reflect, and reimagine. Her creative exploration and experimentation is both personal and imaginative.
Stacy holds a BFA in Fashion Design from SCAD, with minors in Painting and Drawing. A lifelong crafter and artist, she blends her passion for fibers, mixed media, and vibrant color into work that celebrates texture, play, and personal expression. Influenced by a wide range of artists and techniques, Stacy’s creative practice is rooted in exploration and storytelling.
Through Spunky Little Art Co, she shares her love of fashion, drawing, and hands-on making, especially with children. Her workshops and projects encourage young artists to experiment, build confidence, and discover the joy of creating.
Stacy