Kelly Schamberger

Kelly Schamberger Artist Minnesota - photo by Michelle Bennett

Kelly Schamberger in her Duluth home studio, with her award-winning painting “Once Upon a Childhood” visible in the background.

Photo: Wolfskull Creative, Michelle Bennett

Kelly Schamberger is an internationally awarded fine artist, representational oil painter, and art instructor whose work centers on plein air landscapes, portraiture, and still life in the traditions of realism and classical impressionism.

Recognized for both artistic excellence and professional achievement, Schamberger has exhibited and sold her work in museum, international, invitational, solo, and juried exhibitions, and has earned competitive grants supporting her creative development. Her paintings have been featured at institutions including Sotheby’s New York, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, and the Bell Museum.

In 2024, Schamberger was selected for inclusion in the Lunar Codex, a global art time capsule placed on the moon by the Odysseus lander. She is among a limited number of artists worldwide whose work will also be archived in the Polaris Collection moon capsule launching in 2025. She is the author of the limited-edition fine art book Immersed in the Pause.

Schamberger earned a bachelor’s degree in art from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, studied graphic design and illustration at Boise State University, and completed a four-year classical drawing and painting apprenticeship at the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art. She also holds an MBA from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Dedicated to arts leadership and community engagement, she serves as President of the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota and sits on the Board of Directors for the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council. Schamberger paints from her home studio in Duluth, Minnesota, and her work is held in private collections throughout the United States.

From Duluth to The Moon!

Once Upon a Childhood by Kelly Schamberger won an award at the Art Renewal Center 16th Salon in New York and then was selected to be included in the Lunar Codex and was sent to The Moon on Odysseus!

From Kelly Schamberger: “If I had not had an expertly-done photo of this painting, it would not have won the ARC award… and would not be etched in a metal plate sitting ON THE MOON. Your ability to take such a beautiful photo of a very dark, very reflective background was absolutely critical to this extended success.” Thanks Kelly!