Meet the Team
Kerry
Founder & Owner
Kerry Warner is a French Canadian artist, educator, and founder of Easel Art Studio, a creative space where children are free to explore, imagine, and express themselves through art. Born and raised in Quebec, Canada, Kerry earned her BFA in Painting and is fluent in both French and English. After moving to Chicago, she worked as a nanny, where she discovered the joy of making art with children. These daily creative sessions sparked a bigger vision.
In 2007, at 24 years old, Kerry opened the doors to Easel Art Studio, fueled by her passion for both art-making and child-led creativity. Her mission was simple: to give kids the freedom to play, experiment, and create without limits. With the support of her right-hand and best friend, Miss Jess, Kerry and Jess grew Easel into a vibrant community that celebrates the artistic voice of every child.
Today, Easel Art Studio operates out of two Chicago locations and continues to thrive as a hub for joyful, process-based art education. Kerry is now joined in the studio by her own two daughters, budding artists themselves, who share her love for paint, color, and creative messes.
Kerry’s approach to teaching remains rooted in play, imagination, and empowerment. She believes that when kids are given the space and tools to create freely, they not only make beautiful art—they grow into confident, curious thinkers.
Jess
Lead Teacher & Camp Director
Jess is an Iowa native and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Iowa. Her creative candle is always burning, and she stays true to that by painting everyday in her home studio. She enjoys painting personal pieces for people, cooking, playing with her dog, George, and traveling to Colorado to visit family. Jess has been sharing her passion for art at Easel for 8 years, and has continued to dedicate her knowledge in art to help children develop artistically whether in a group class or individually. Jess truly enjoys teaching children to look at the initial foundations of the art making process so they can grow and learn to create their own inspired masterpiece.
Lauren
Teacher
Lauren is from southeast Wisconsin and currently attends Loyola University Chicago. She is a full time student studying Studio Art: Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking. Lauren enjoys working with charcoal and oils but also using unconventional materials to make art. During the summer she is at the beach as much as she can be and loves to cook. She has spent her summers working with kids and found her passion for showing them all the opportunities that art holds for them. Lauren creates a space for kids to explore their creative ideas and imagination. Seeing where their minds take them is always so enjoyable.