Artist Spotlight: Ellie Ellis

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  • Ellie Ellis kneeling next to a freshly painted mural of a blue-green water scene with lily pads and frogs. Text reads “No Dumping – Drains to Blackstone River.” Supplies and cones surround the site.
  • Close-up of a colorful sidewalk mural featuring a blue heron in flight above cattails with a warm orange sky behind it. The text at the bottom reads “Drains to Blackstone River – No Dumping.”
    “Heron Sunset” by Ellie Ellis, 2025. Located at Vernon Hill Elementary School.
  • Bright mural of a green frog lounging on a lily pad in a cartoon-style blue pond surrounded by pink lotus flowers. Text reads “No Dumping – Drains to Blackstone River.”
    “Lily Pad Pond” by Ellie Ellis, 2025. Located at the intersection of Ames Street and Providence Street.
  • Mural identical to the previous image, but shown mid-painting with surrounding supplies, including paint cans and brushes. The artist’s feet are visible above the artwork.
  • Sidewalk mural with bright green grass and cartoon flowers, including a smiling red heart and a purple blossom. The message “No Dumping” is written in large bubble letters. Sponsored by Major Bloom.
    “Major Bloom Catch Bain Mural” by Ellie Ellis, 2023. Located by Major Bloom on Harding Street.
  • Sidewalk mural of a cartoon turtle relaxing on a striped beach towel in a red swimsuit and sunglasses, with the bold message “No Dumping – Drains to Blackstone River.”
    “Beach Bum” by Ellie Ellis, 2023. Located at Bell Hill Park.
  • Sidewalk mural of underwater wildlife including a fish, turtle, and aquatic plants. The words “No Dumping – Drains to Beaver Brook” are displayed in bold red letters.
    “River Friends” by Ellie Ellis, 2023. Located at Beaver Brook Park.
  • Storm drain mural in front of Vernon Hill School showing a blue heron flying over cattails with a vivid orange and yellow sunset in the background. The mural reads “Drains to Blackstone River – No Dumping.”
  • Initial stages of a sidewalk mural featuring an orange and yellow sunset background with a heron flying above. Only base colors and shapes are filled in.
  • Storm drain mural featuring a blue heron flying over a marsh at sunset. The nearly completed text reads “Drains to Blackstone River – No Dumping.” Paint cups and a reference sketch are nearby.

A colorful frog and dragonfly have made their way to the edge of a Worcester storm drain, and they’re here to do more than look cute. They’re part of a new catch basin mural by local illustrator and nature enthusiast Ellie Ellis, whose work brings storytelling and wildlife together with environmental impact.

From a young age, Ellie was certain about her path. “I have always wanted to be an artist ever since I was little and they would ask ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ I would write ‘an artist’ or ‘an illustrator’ specifically,” she says.

Her creative style can be described in three words: fun, imaginative, and narrative. Nature has always been her biggest inspiration. “I’ve always been a nature girl. I love animals, and I love the color blue—it shows up in my work a lot. Basically, if it has an animal in it, I want to paint it.”

The designs for her 2025 catch basin murals are rooted in the local environment. “Lily Pad Pond”, located at the intersection of Ames Street and Providence Street, features a frog and a dragonfly, while “Heron Sunset”, placed in front of Vernon Hill Elementary School, showcases a majestic heron. These murals highlight the creatures that live in and around our local waterways—bringing attention to the very environment we are working to protect.

Ellie’s public art journey with Worcester Green Corps began in 2023, when she painted three murals: “River Friends” at the Beaver Brook Park parking lot, “Beach Bum” at Bell Hill Park, and a vibrant mural for Major Bloom near the dispensary on Harding Street. Each piece blends her love of animals with a desire to uplift and educate the community.

By placing these images next to storm drains, she hopes to spark curiosity and concern. “I hope when people see my mural that they think twice about where their trash is going, where their water is going, and even though we’re in an urban environment, what else really lives here?”

The goal is not just to raise awareness, but to inspire action and reflection. As Ellie puts it, public art is about “bringing art into the community, inspiring next generations of artists, all generations of artists, and making life a little more fun.”

For Ellie, the chance to contribute to environmental awareness through art is deeply meaningful. “Knowing my art will protect local waterways feels great,” she says. “It feels like the ultimate goal as an artist.”

She also believes that artists have long played a vital role in shaping change. “The role that artists can play for environmental and social change is basically holding up a mirror,” Ellie says. “We are here to give a visual interpretation of what we see happening, what we want to happen, what has happened.”

“Lily Pad Pond” and “Heron Sunset” are part of the 2025 Worcester Green Corps Catch Basin Mural Project, created in partnership with Sharinna Travieso, and the Worcester DPW. Funding was provided by the Mass Cultural Council, the New England Grassroots Fund, and the FY25 State Earmark, allocated by Senator Mike Moore.

“River Friends” and “Beach Bum” are part of the 2023 Worcester Green Corps Catch Basin Mural Project, created in partnership with the Worcester Green Corps, Sharinna Travieso, and the Worcester DPW. Sponsored by Worcester Arts Council.  

The Major Bloom Catch Basin Mural is part of the 2023 Worcester Green Corps Catch Basin Mural Project, created in partnership with the Worcester Green Corps, Sharinna Travieso, and the Worcester DPW. Sponsored by Major Bloom.

Next time you walk by one of Worcester’s storm drains, take a closer look. You just might see something beautiful—and it might just change the way you see your city.

You can follow Ellie’s work on:

Catch Basin Murals

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