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