Piper Koontz

Piper Koontz is an mixed media illustrator based in KCMO attending the Kansas City Art Institute and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2024. Raised in mexico missouri, she was surrounded by art from a young age. Piper’s artistic passion was nurtured and encouraged by her mother, Sharon Koontz, who too is an artist. She grew up being inspired by fairytales, manga, anime and anything magical. She has taken these inspirations and applied them to her work making her art a mixture of ethereal, painterly, colorful and whimsical. She explores themes related to her childhood, mental health, human relationships and fantasy. In highschool, Piper illustrated three published children’s books: “The Camp Creature” by Diane Buffington (2018), “Eat Grapes but Dont Fall on Your F-A-C-E” by Deanne Arnold (2020) and “Grandma’s Piano Key Rap” by Deanne Arnold (2021). She took this wonderful experience and applied it to the work she makes at KCAI. In the future she hopes to be able to make her own stories a reality. With her stories, Piper hopes to create art and tell stories that resonate with people who need it the most.