Kelly Birkenruth's captivating paintings are in the style of contemporary realism and are firmly grounded in the tradition of the Old Masters. She is able to pull the viewer into her paintings by interweaving emotion with a humanistic quality and deft handling of light and shadow. Through her portraits and still life she is able to evoke sensitivity and empathy, which in turn allows her to create images which transcend mere representation to capture the true essence of her subject. Kelly's arresting compositions, draftsmanship, use of color and observation of detail allow her to create paintings with a timeless quality. Kelly studied at the Otis College of Art in Los Angeles, Ca. She continued her studies through workshops and private study with renowned artists Daniel Sprick, Steven Assael and Jesus Emmanuel Villarreal.In 2021 and 2023, Kelly exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, Spain. Previously in 2019, she exhibited 2 paintings at the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, Spain, for their Painting Today, International Women Artists Painters Exhibition. Her painting The City Awaits received the Award of Excellence at the American Women Artists 2017 Exhibition at the Tucson Desert Art Museum. Guarding Her Heart was exhibited at the 2018 Annual National Juried Exhibition at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art in Wausau, WI. Homage to New York was exhibited at the American Women Artists 2018 show Perspectives of the American Experience at the Rockwell Museum in Corning, NY. She has also won awards from prestigious organizations such as Art Renewal Center, Salmagundi Club, and Portrait Society of America.Exhibitions2023Mimesis, MEAM Museum Barcelona, Spain LA Art Show, Abend Gallery Los Angeles, CA International Biennial Portrait Competition, Wausau Museum Wausau, WI Valentine Gems, Susan Powell Fine Art Madison, CT Pushing Forward Reaching Back, American Women Artists Brookgreen Gardens, SC45th Annual Open Exhibition, Salmagundi Club New York, NYSummer in New England, Susan Powell Fine Art Madison, CT 5 x 5 Project XIII, Abend Gallery Denver, CO 2022LA Art Show, Abend Gallery Los Angeles, CA Breaking Through, Customs House Museum, American Women Artists Clarksville, TN Modern Male IV Exhibition, Bowersock Gallery Provincetown, MA Liberating the Flesh, Zhou B Art Center Chicago, IL 5x5 Project XI, Abend Gallery Denver, CO Valentine Gems, Susan Powell Fine Art Madison, CT New York Figurative Show, Salmagundi Club New York, NY Braveheart, Lovetts Gallery Tulsa, OK Artists to Watch, Susan Powell Fine Art Madison, CT 32nd Annual Holiday Miniatures Show, Abend Gallery Denver, CO Member’s Only Competition, Portrait Society of America Art Renewal Center 16th Annual International Salon 2021Femmes Des Fleurs, Solo Show, Abend Gallery Denver, CO Women Painting all over the world, MEAM Museum Barcelona, SpainLA Art Show, Abend Gallery, Los Angeles, CAIconic, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art Wausau, WINew England Regional Juried Exhibition, Guild of Boston Artists Boston, MA Contemporary Figuration, Abend Gallery, Denver, COModern Male III Exhibition, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA Summer Breeze Exhibition, Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK Spring into Art, Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT Lifting the Sky, American Women Artists Online Exhibition Music/Man, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, ILSummer in New England Exhibition, Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT Art Renewal Center 15th Annual International Salon Members Only Competition, Portrait Society of America31st Annual Holiday Miniature Show, Abend Gallery2020Whimsy, Solo Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, COMember’s Only Competition, Portrait Society of AmericaNor’Easter 50th Annual Juried Exhibition, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT15th Annual International Juried Exhibition, International Guild of Realism, Principle Gallery, Charleston, SCSeven to Watch, Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTIt Could be You: Portraiture in A Constructed World, Portraits, Inc., Birmingham, AL5 X 5 Project VII, Abend Gallery, Denver, COAnnual Holiday Show, Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTHoliday Open House , Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK30th Annual Holiday Miniature Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO2019 Painting Today, MEAM Museum, Barcelona, SpainArt Renewal Center 14th Annual International Salon14th Annual International Juried Exhibition International Guild of Realism, Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA5 x 5 Project IV, Abend Gallery, Denver, COModern Male, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MAAnnual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTFiguratively Speaking Salmagundi Club, New York, NYValentine Gems Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTConnecticut Academy of Fine Arts 108th Annual Exhibition, Mystic Museum of Art, Mystic, CTIn Bloom Online Exhibition Abend Gallery, Denver, CO2018Annual Holiday Miniatures Exhibition Abend Gallery, Denver, COAnnual National Juried Exhibition Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WIFigurative Art Group Exhibition Dacia Gallery, New York, NYRegional Juried Exhibition Guild of Boston Artists, Boston, MAVisions of Venus/Venus’s Visions Poets and Artists Juried Exhibition, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, ILPerspectives of the American Experience, American Women Artists Juried Exhibition, 2018 (continued)Rockwell Museum, Corning, NYAnnual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTArt Renewal Center 13th Annual International SalonValentine Gems Show Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTViva La Femme L’Atelier Berkshires, Great Barrington, MA11th Biennial National Art Exhibition Visual Art Center, Punta Gorda, FL 2017Annual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTSummer Show Hearle Gallery, Chatham, MAUnder a Vast Sky American Women Artists Juried Exhibition, Tucson Desert Art Museum, Tucson, AZAnnual Holiday Show Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT2016Annual Art Competition Artists MagazineArt Renewal Center 12th Annual International SalonAll Media Competition Artists MagazineAnnual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT2015Portrait Society of America Members Only CompetitionAnnual Holiday Show Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTWomen Making Their Mark Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT2014Annual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTSolo Show West Hartford Art League, West Hartford, CT2013CT+6 Annual Juried Show West Hartford Art League, West Hartford, CT2012 Open Juried Portrait Exhibition My Studio Gallery, Port Washington, N.Y.Annual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CTSalon International Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX2011Exhibition of Contemporary American RealismAmerica China Oil Painters Artists League, Butler Institute of Fine Art, OHScottsdale Salon of Fine Art Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale, AZPortrait Society of America Members Only Competition2010 Art Renewal Center 7th Annual International SalonAnnual Juried Show New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CTObject's of Art Group Show Beardsley Fine Arts Gallery, Wilton, CTMini Masterpieces New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CTFaces of Winter Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Stamford, CT2009Annual Juried Show New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CTConnecticut Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition, Mystic, CTFaces of Winter Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Old Lyme, CT2008Juried Portrait Exhibition West Hartford Art League, West Hartford, CT112th Open Exhibition Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, National Arts Club, N.Y.Artists Exhibition The Red Tree Gallery, Atascadero, CAGroup Spring Show Beardsley Fine Arts Gallery, Wilton, CTFaces of Winter Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Greenwich, CT2007 Group Show Just Looking Gallery, West Hartford, CTFaces of Spring Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Old Lyme, CT2006Salon International Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX77th Open Juried Exhibit Connecticut Women Artists, New Haven, CT AWARDS2023 Salmagundi Club 45th Annual Open: American Artist Professional League Award2022 Portrait Society of America: 7th Place Commissioned Portrait Category, Finalist Still Life Category2021 Art Renewal Center 16th International Salon : Finalist2021 Portrait Society of America: 7th Place Non-Commissioned Portrait CategoryBlue Review Art Prize : Honorable Mention2020 Art Renewal Center 15th International Salon: Finalist2020 Portrait Society of America: Finalist Commissioned Portrait -Category2019 Art Renewal Center 14th International Salon: FinalistConnecticut Academy of Fine Arts 108th Annual Exhibition: 2nd Place2018 Art Renewal Center 13th International Salon: Finalist2017 American Women Artists “Under a Vast Sky” Exhibition, Tucson Desert Art Museum: Award of Excellence2016 Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition: FinalistArt Renewal Center 12th International Salon: FinalistArtists Magazine All Media Competition: Honorable Mention2015 Portrait Society of America: 2nd Place Still Life Category2013 CT+6 Annual Juried Exhibition: Best of Show2012 Port Washington, N.Y. Open Juried Portrait Competition: Second PlaceArt Renewal Center 9th Annual International Salon: Finalist2011 America China Oil Painters Artists League Exhibition of Contemporary American Realism: FinalistPortrait Society of America: 5th Place Non-Commissioned Portraits, Honorable Mention Commissioned Portraits2010 Art Renewal Center 7th Annual International Salon: Finalist2008 West Hartford Art League Juried Portrait Exhibition: First Place2007 Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists Faces of Spring: Honorable Mention2005 Topanga Canyon Gallery Open Juried Exhibition: Best of Show Oil Painting Category