The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond, to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.
Cynthia Brewster
NoneCONCORD TWP Ohio 44060 United States Home Phone: 4404639838
Bio
Cynthia Holley Brewster
Born in Detroit, Michigan, she began drawing at an old school desk in the breakfast nook of her parent’s home at an early age. That was a primary occupation as a kid, and her dad was a constant supplier of #2 pencils and stacks of note paper from his office. She called upon her imagination and gained inspiration from books, magazines, comics, and the natural world that she loved, especially people and animals. Summers were spent in Northern Michigan where her grandfather and dad built the family cabin, and she could explore the shorelines, dunes, and woods. She was also inspired by the other arts including music, puppetry and theater, in which her parents were involved.
She graduated from Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, with a BA in Art where her studies included drawing, painting, sculpture, and graphic arts. She continued her education at the graduate level at the University of Oslo, Norway where she studied industrial (functional) art and design, then explored the European continent and art with backpack and sketchbook.
She relocated to Cleveland to teach school, and eventually married. She and her husband live in Concord Township where she designed, and her husband built their home, and they raised their children. Today they share their home with two Border Collies and, when not painting, she enjoys hiking, skiing, kayaking, and attending concerts with their kids and grandkids. She also loves many types of music and enjoys playing the piano or guitar.
She continued her education at the Cleveland Institute of Art, and through a variety of workshops with several internationally recognized artists.
She is an associate member of Allied Artists of America, Portrait Society of America, a juried member of the Pastel Society of America, and a Signature Member of the Degas Society. Her one-woman show, Illusions of Reality, was held at the Ashtabula Arts Center, Sept. 2021.
Her accomplishments also include various awards from local and national art exhibitions, including First Place at the Valley Art Center (2016, Chagrin Falls, OH) with her painting “Bright Daybreak of Peace”; Best of Show at the May Show (2021, Willoughby, OH), Lakeland College Gallery, with her painting, “Irie Peace Fire”, and the Award of Exceptional Merit from the Degas Society (2023, New Orleans, LA) for her pastel painting, ,“Lovell”. In 2025 this painting was also accepted into the Ohio State Fair, Cox Fine Art Exhibit, and the Butler Institute of American Art’s 86th Area Artist 2026 exhibit.
Artist Statement
I am a figuarative artist and work primarily with graphite, charcoal, pastel, or oil, exploring the human form through portriture and interpretation of activity. I consider my work to be in one sense abstract, because what I paint or draw is limited by two-dimensional media. Through investigation of natural shapes, values, and color I am inspired to create work that may appear representaional, yet, an illusion of reality. The process is real, the end imagined and unknown. What is created is an intention, but not always predictable.
I value what I am able to know of the person that I intend to recreate on paper or canvas. I attempt to emphasize the nuances of personality, character, and vision. The portrait represents a particular time; a moment of inspiration and contemplation captured, with evidence of a commitment to life. A general theme of peace, joy, and hope is significant to me.