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.

Exhibitions

2023

Mimesis, 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, SC

45th Annual Open Exhibition, Salmagundi Club New York, NY

Summer in New England, Susan Powell Fine Art Madison, CT

5 x 5 Project XIII, Abend Gallery Denver, CO
2022
LA 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

2021
Femmes Des Fleurs, Solo Show, Abend Gallery Denver, CO
Women Painting all over the world, MEAM Museum Barcelona, Spain
LA Art Show, Abend Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Iconic, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art Wausau, WI
New England Regional Juried Exhibition, Guild of Boston Artists Boston, MA
Contemporary Figuration, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
Modern 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, IL
Summer in New England Exhibition, Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Art Renewal Center 15th Annual International Salon
Members Only Competition, Portrait Society of America
31st Annual Holiday Miniature Show, Abend Gallery
2020
Whimsy, Solo Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
Member’s Only Competition, Portrait Society of America
Nor’Easter 50th Annual Juried Exhibition, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
15th Annual International Juried Exhibition, International Guild of Realism, Principle Gallery, Charleston, SC
Seven to Watch, Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
It Could be You: Portraiture in A Constructed World, Portraits, Inc., Birmingham, AL
5 X 5 Project VII, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
Annual Holiday Show, Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Holiday Open House , Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK
30th Annual Holiday Miniature Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2019
Painting Today, MEAM Museum, Barcelona, Spain
Art Renewal Center 14th Annual International Salon
14th Annual International Juried Exhibition International Guild of Realism, Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA
5 x 5 Project IV, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
Modern Male, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Annual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Figuratively Speaking Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
Valentine Gems Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts 108th Annual Exhibition, Mystic Museum of Art, Mystic, CT
In Bloom Online Exhibition Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2018
Annual Holiday Miniatures Exhibition Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
Annual National Juried Exhibition Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI
Figurative Art Group Exhibition Dacia Gallery, New York, NY
Regional Juried Exhibition Guild of Boston Artists, Boston, MA
Visions of Venus/Venus’s Visions Poets and Artists Juried Exhibition, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL
Perspectives of the American Experience, American Women Artists Juried Exhibition,
2018 (continued)
Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY
Annual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Art Renewal Center 13th Annual International Salon
Valentine Gems Show Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Viva La Femme L’Atelier Berkshires, Great Barrington, MA
11th Biennial National Art Exhibition Visual Art Center, Punta Gorda, FL
2017
Annual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Summer Show Hearle Gallery, Chatham, MA
Under a Vast Sky American Women Artists Juried Exhibition, Tucson Desert Art Museum, Tucson, AZ
Annual Holiday Show Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
2016
Annual Art Competition Artists Magazine
Art Renewal Center 12th Annual International Salon
All Media Competition Artists Magazine
Annual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
2015
Portrait Society of America Members Only Competition
Annual Holiday Show Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Women Making Their Mark Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
2014
Annual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Solo Show West Hartford Art League, West Hartford, CT
2013
CT+6 Annual Juried Show West Hartford Art League, West Hartford, CT
2012
Open Juried Portrait Exhibition My Studio Gallery, Port Washington, N.Y.
Annual Still Life Invitational Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT
Salon International Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2011
Exhibition of Contemporary American Realism
America China Oil Painters Artists League, Butler Institute of Fine Art, OH
Scottsdale Salon of Fine Art Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
Portrait Society of America Members Only Competition
2010
Art Renewal Center 7th Annual International Salon
Annual Juried Show New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
Object's of Art Group Show Beardsley Fine Arts Gallery, Wilton, CT
Mini Masterpieces New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
Faces of Winter Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Stamford, CT
2009
Annual Juried Show New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition, Mystic, CT
Faces of Winter Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Old Lyme, CT
2008
Juried Portrait Exhibition West Hartford Art League, West Hartford, CT
112th Open Exhibition Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, National Arts Club, N.Y.
Artists Exhibition The Red Tree Gallery, Atascadero, CA
Group Spring Show Beardsley Fine Arts Gallery, Wilton, CT
Faces of Winter Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Greenwich, CT
2007
Group Show Just Looking Gallery, West Hartford, CT
Faces of Spring Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Old Lyme, CT
2006
Salon International Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX
77th Open Juried Exhibit Connecticut Women Artists, New Haven, CT

AWARDS
2023 Salmagundi Club 45th Annual Open: American Artist Professional League Award
2022 Portrait Society of America: 7th Place Commissioned Portrait Category, Finalist Still Life Category
2021 Art Renewal Center 16th International Salon : Finalist
2021 Portrait Society of America: 7th Place Non-Commissioned Portrait Category
Blue Review Art Prize : Honorable Mention
2020 Art Renewal Center 15th International Salon: Finalist
2020 Portrait Society of America: Finalist Commissioned Portrait -Category
2019 Art Renewal Center 14th International Salon: Finalist
Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts 108th Annual Exhibition: 2nd Place
2018 Art Renewal Center 13th International Salon: Finalist
2017 American Women Artists “Under a Vast Sky” Exhibition, Tucson Desert Art Museum: Award of Excellence
2016 Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition: Finalist
Art Renewal Center 12th International Salon: Finalist
Artists Magazine All Media Competition: Honorable Mention
2015 Portrait Society of America: 2nd Place Still Life Category
2013 CT+6 Annual Juried Exhibition: Best of Show
2012 Port Washington, N.Y. Open Juried Portrait Competition: Second Place
Art Renewal Center 9th Annual International Salon: Finalist
2011 America China Oil Painters Artists League Exhibition of Contemporary American Realism: Finalist
Portrait Society of America: 5th Place Non-Commissioned Portraits, Honorable Mention Commissioned Portraits
2010 Art Renewal Center 7th Annual International Salon: Finalist
2008 West Hartford Art League Juried Portrait Exhibition: First Place
2007 Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists Faces of Spring: Honorable Mention
2005 Topanga Canyon Gallery Open Juried Exhibition: Best of Show Oil Painting Category