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 — Paintings Photographed by Mitch Rossow

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.

In 2026, Schamberger was named Artist of the Year by the Depot Foundation’s Circle of Friends Arts and Culture Awards, and was honored with the Official Seal of the City of Duluth by Mayor Roger Reinert — presented in recognition of exceptional service and lasting contributions to the community, and described as among the highest civic honors the city can bestow. She was also selected as the Commemorative Poster Artist for Grandma’s Marathon’s 50th Anniversary — a painting just photographed in this studio.

Her paintings have been exhibited and sold in museum, international, invitational, solo, and juried exhibitions 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 — her painting designated “Heritage of Humanity” under the International Artemis Accords. She is also included in the Polaris Collection moon capsule. She is the author of the limited-edition fine art book Immersed in the Pause.

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

She serves as President of Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, Commissioner on the Duluth Public Arts Commission, on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, and as Adjunct Faculty in Painting at the College of Saint Scholastica. She is represented by Gallery 1802 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and paints from her home studio in Duluth.

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 was then selected for the Lunar Codex — sent to the moon on Odysseus in February 2024.

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.”

That quote is the reason this studio exists. Schedule your own session →