Ellie Kort is a Kansas City–based artist whose abstract work explores storytelling, emotion, and cultural memory through color and form. Her visual influences include Frank Stella, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Antoni Gaudí, and Niki de Saint Phalle. Her earliest inspiration came from her mother, the “picture lady” of her elementary school, who first introduced her to the power of art. Ellie’s paintings reflect both playful experimentation and a search for meaning, inviting viewers to connect with their own stories through her work.