Education

2008 MFA Sculpture, Cranbrook Academy of Art

2006 Post Baccalaureate, Maryland Institute College of Art

2000 BA Studio Art, Hiram College


Solo Exhibitions 

2024

Sweet Monotony, Sally Otto Art Gallery, University of Mount Union, Alliance, OH

2022

(With)drawing, The Bonfoey Gallery, Cleveland, OH

2017

A River Isn’t Too Much to Love, The College of Wooster Art Museum, Wooster, OH

2016

No Name No. 3, Judith Rae Solomon Gallery, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH

New Work, The Link Gallery, Kent State University, Kent, OH

2014

A Moderately Melancholy Dictionary and Other Missives, Miller Yezerski Gallery, Boston, MA

2012

The Ghost of Ted K or The Unforgettable Fire, 1point618, Cleveland, OH

2010

Was it a dream, was I in it, 1point618, Cleveland, OH Cleveland


Group Exhibitions

2024

Cosmic Glow, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Peninsula, OH

2021

More is More: Visual Richness in Contemporary Art, Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH

Uplifters: New Beginnings from Old Things, Yards Projects, Cleveland, OH

2020

Another Roadside Attraction, River House Arts, Toledo, OH

2019

Mirror, Mirror, Waterloo Arts, Cleveland OH

2018

The Great Lakes Research, FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art, Reinberger Gallery, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH

Full Fathom Five, The Progressive Art Collection, Mayfield Village, OH

Aspects, The Bonfoey Gallery, Cleveland, OH

2017

Great Lakes Drawing Biennial, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI

Detroit Sequential, Signal Return Gallery, Detroit, MI

2016

Thump… Dump, Clump, Lump… Bump! The Bonfoey Gallery, Cleveland, OH

2015

The Show, 1point618, Cleveland, OH

Memeography, Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH

2014

Solo::Together, 50th Annual UF Art Faculty Exhibition, Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FL

The Big Show, Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH

2013

Remastered, 1point618, Cleveland, OH

Car Art/Crash, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

Seat’s Taken, Burlington Center for the Arts, Burlington, VT

2011

Zygote Monothon, The Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH

Collection Exhibition, Cleveland Art Association, Cleveland, OH

2010

Emerging Artists, Union Club, Cleveland, OH

The Boston Store, 8th Street Gallery, Boston, MA

2009

Aqua Art Fair, Art Basel Miami Beach, Miller Block Gallery, Boston, MA


Film Festivals and Screenings

2023

Ordinary Magic: A Sunday in the Cuyahoga Valley, Cleveland International Film Festival, Cleveland, OH

2022

Ordinary Magic: A Sunday in the Cuyahoga Valley, premiere screening with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, Akron, OH


Awards & Grants

2022

Cleveland Arts Prize, Emerging Artist Award, Cleveland, OH

Dan Tranberg Teaching Excellence Award, Cleveland, OH

2021

Arts & Culture Grant, Akron Community Foundation, Akron, OH

(2) Community Support Grants, Hiram Community Trust, Hiram, OH

Arts Grant, Pegs Foundation, Akron, OH

Arts Grant, Fox Charitable Foundation, Akron, OH

2020

Arts and Culture Grant, GAR Foundation, Akron, OH

Arts Grant, Fox Charitable Foundation, Akron, OH

2019

Knight Arts Challenge Akron Grant, John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, Akron, OH

Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award

Nomination for American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Annual Visual Arts Exhibition, New York, NY


Special Projects

2021

Writer, “Drawing from the Music of Benjamin Britten” Symposeum Magazine, Issue 1 - Transition

2019

Inclusion in artist Jonathan Horowitz’s Internet project, “The Daily Trumpet”

2017

Curator, Dan Tranberg: So Vivid. So Luminous. So Fluorescent. Ann and Norman Roulet Student + Alumni Gallery, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland OH

Co-chair, the Dan Tranberg Memorial Scholarship Fund and Art Auction

Tutor, Thea Bowman Center, GED adult learning classes, Cleveland OH

You Me Us We – Benefit Auction for Planned Parenthood, Kent OH

2016

Writer, PART BODY BODY BEING in collaboration with Dobama theatre and MOCA Cleveland, Cleveland OH

2014

Co-organizer, On The Table, Drawing Center, Viewing Program, Cleveland Public Library Fine Arts Department, Cleveland OH

2013

Seven Below Artist Residency, Westford, VT

2011

Selected artist, Viewing Program, The Drawing Center, New York, NY

Goodbye, Hello!, Annual Benefit & Art Auction, MOCA Cleveland, Cleveland OH

2009

Selected artist, Nesnadny & Schwartz, Visiting Curator Program, MOCA Cleveland, Cleveland OH


Commissions

2018

Drawings for “Rock This Town! Backstage in Cleveland: Stories you never heard and swag you never saw by Fran Belkin

2016

Album cover design BLK SWN by Smino, Interscope Records


Press

Wise, Carrie, “Artist Amber D. Kempthorn shares Ordinary Magic, a visual and musical celebration of life,” ideastream.org, November 11, 2022.

Clawson, Kerry, “Animator Kempthorn to receive Cleveland Arts Prize,” Akron Beacon Journal, October 29, 2022.

Litt, Steven, “Artist Amber Kempthorn’s delightful animation of Benjamin Britten’s “Sea Interludes” on view at Bonfoey, following Akron Symphony Premiere,” Cleveland.com, October 16, 2022.

Utter, Douglas Max, “Amber Kempthorn: (EXTRA)ORDINARY MAGIC,” CAN Journal, September 2022.

Butz, Michael C. “CIA Faculty’s Community-Focused Projects Have Impact In and Out of the Classroom,” CAN Journal, March 2021.

von Schneider, Dott “In Mirror, Mirror at Waterloo Arts, a Collection of Artists Reveal Their Lived Experience,” www.clevescene.com, October 2019.

Connelly Rice, Karin "CIA's new Great Lakes Research exhibition puts the region's art culture FRONT and center," FreshWater Cleveland, July 2018.

Keffer, Mark “Expressive Figuration,” Around Kent Magazine, Fall/Winter 2016.

Wolff, Carlo “Storytelling Devices,” Canvas Magazine, Fall/Winter 2015.

Usmani, Josh “Zygote Press Themed Show Explores Iconography in History,” Cleveland Scene, June 2015.

Detroit Performs “Car Art/ Crash,” www.DetroitPeforms.org, September 2013.

Tursi, Alexandra “Seat’s Taken,” Artscope: New England’s Culture Magazine, February 2013.

Clark, Joseph “Teaching by Doing,” Cleveland Scene, August 2012.

Zevitas, Steven “Must See Painting Shows, March 2012” New American Paintings BlogSpot, March 2012.

Utter, Douglas Max “Hungry Heart, Amber Kempthorn at 1point618,” Giraffe Trap, July 2010.


Collections

Bloomfield Township Public Library, Bloomfield Hills, MI

The Cleveland Art Association, Cleveland, OH

The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA

The Progressive Art Collection, Mayfield Village, OH


Teaching

Assistant Professor, Drawing Department, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland OH


Lectures

2024

Kershaw Lecture, The University of Mount Union, Alliance, OH

2023

Department of Art and Art History, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH

2022

Synapse Lecture Series, University of Akron, Myers School of Art, Akron, OH

Juror, Annual Student Art Exhibition, Gelbke Art Gallery, Hiram College, Hiram, OH

2021

Graduate Program, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

2018

The Progressive Corporation, Mayfield Village, OH

2017

The College of Wooster Art Museum, Wooster, OH

2016

DALS Visiting Artist Lecture, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH

2015

Professional Practice, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH

Senior Drawing, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH

2014

Sculpture Department, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2012

Post Baccalaureate Program, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

Sculpture Department, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2011

Professional Practice, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH

Drawing I, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

Advanced Painting & Drawing, Towson University, Towson MD