An 8th grade student from Brooklyn Park is inspiring others and giving back to the community through painting. 13-year-old artist and entrepreneur Ella Beard is the owner of “Vibe Art,” an online business where she sells her art work. She describes her paintings as multicultural art.
"I started off by doing landscapes, animals, trees, sunsets - things that were easy and that inspired me. And then I also started leveling up to African American art and faces and portraits. I still do my landscapes, but I just love making faces," said Ella. "I started painting when I was nine years old during the pandemic. I was just really bored, and that's how I truly got into artwork."
Ella uses strong symmetrical shapes and bold colors to capture the essence of Black women. Her galaxy series features Black people as astronauts in space, something that's rarely seen in popular culture.
During the pandemic Ella was forced to isolate from school and friends. She says the time alone motivated her to create more.
"There was a little bit of supplies at my house, like a few canvases and paint brushes, just to have a little bit of fun with. But I didn't really truly have experience painting at the time. I used to love drawing and things like that. So then I just got a few canvases and brushes, and I just started going to work. And that's how I found out that I had a true talent."
As Ella began to paint at home, she would frequently share her work with her mother Dawn Stevens. Her mother was astonished at the talent and creativity displayed in her daughter's art work.
"She was in the basement with the few canvases and paintings she had, and she was painting and she'd bring them up and show us while we're just sitting around watching TV, because we couldn't do anything else. And I didn't believe her. I was like, 'You didn't do that. You copied that from somewhere. You didn't do that.' I just didn't believe her. It took a full week of her bringing up canvases and showing me her beautiful landscapes for me to finally say, 'Oh my goodness, you have a gift.'"
Dawn says a family friend invited Ella to display her artwork at the Black Market, a pop up market for Black business owners.
"We went just to see what would happen, how people would respond. And of course, overwhelmingly, people are like 'Oh my goodness -- that is so beautiful! You're only nine and you did that?!' And she sold some paintings that day. "
Ella and her parents decided to further invest in her love of painting by opening her online business. She says she paints five days a week.
"I focus on the front end. My dad and my mom, they do more of the statistic things, they've truly helped me from the start, like they've always uplifted me and motivated me, just helping me just create more ideas and things like that. they've really chipped in on my process, and I couldn't have done it without them."
Ella is remarkably mature for her age. Despite her responsibilities, she remains committed to a work-life balance, ensuring she still finds time to go swimming or roller-skating with her friends. Ella says she also credits God with her success.
"I do think it was a God given gift. As a young artist, being a business owner is a true gift from God, I feel it's just, it's a pleasure being a business owner and experiencing things that not many kids get to experience at this age."
Ella says being a young entrepreneur has helped her to develop her business skills while also giving her a leg up in some of her classes at school. As she continues bringing her visions to life on canvas, she hopes her business will grow and expand, touching people around the world.
"It just makes me feel joy when people come to me saying 'your art really inspires me.' Especially as a young teenage girl, I just want to just change the world in a more positive aspect and help inspire others."
Ella is already inspiring others – not just through her paintings, but by teaching. She’s taught several classes at Relentless Academy, a non profit organization that works to advance underserved students academically and artistically.
"I started painting classes at the age of 11 and I absolutely loved it. It was about 30 kids, I believe. So I've been coming every summer to Relentless Academy to teach them how to paint. And it was just a joy. I just love teaching classes, especially to younger kids. And I teach adults too."
At the age of 13, Ella possesses the grace and determination to create a fulfilling career for herself, while also making the world a more vibrant place to live.
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