Currently on view:

Great Lakes Aquarium

Merrill Lynch Fine Art Gallery
353 Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN 55802

May 29 - September 7, 2026

In this most recent collection of oil and gouache paintings, Kelly Schamberger is in pursuit of an anchored focus: the calming and grounding beauty found in the natural environment of Minnesota’s North Shore. The paintings act as field notes for memories and applied meaning, purpose and gratitude… in the rocks, wildflowers, trees, landscapes, and waves, she is capturing experiences of moment, light, and environment while organizing her easily-distracted inner artist world.

“As I returned to a full-time art career this past year, I’ve worked to continuously imbue structure, presence, energy, and focus into my painting pursuits. These works, as of late, are my personal resistance to negativity, division, and distraction in the world… and are instead a conscious choice to see and protect positivity, purpose, and wonder. The pieces provide a counterbalance to the necessity of technology and impersonal digital communications, while reminding me to slow down, appreciate, value, and connect with the natural world surrounding my home and the great Lake Superior. We have an absolute treasure here in Minnesota’s wilderness, and as tangible artworks, these paintings are an opportunity to bring the beauty of nature inside, captured visually, for others to enjoy without disturbing or destroying the physical places that have brought me such awe in the first place. In the flickers of color, unexpected hues, and responsive brushstrokes, I’ve spent countless hours in flow and in beauty, hours in problem-solving, seeing, and feeling… choosing to remember and embrace what is sacred and irreplaceable around me.”

As a natural pair with the discovery, education, and delight found at the Great Lakes Aquarium, Schamberger suggests only that these works are a reminder that we are surrounded by a gift.

May the memories of hours spent hiking on trails, strolling along shores, and exploring the deep woods settle your heart and buoy your hope, even if only for a moment.