e d u c a t I o n
1999-01 MFA Slade School of Fine Art, London, UK
1996-99 BA University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK (First Class Honours)
c u r a t e d e x h I b I t I o n s
2022 Crossing Boundaries, APT Gallery, London
2022 A Wider Landscape, The Alpine Club, London
s o l o e x h I b I t I o n s
2024 Antarctic Paintings, John Martin Gallery, London, UK
2024 Antarctica, Royal Geographical Society, London, UK
2024 Forthcoming, Antarctica, Houses of Parliament, London, UK
2024 Antarctica , Murray Edwards College, Cambridge University;
2023 Feedback; Phytology, London, UK
2012 Slower Than This: Flashpoint Gallery, Washington DC, USA
2010 Polly Townsend: British Embassy, Washington DC, USA
2008 Polly Townsend: The Alpine Club, London, UK
2007 Passing Through: 3 White Walls Gallery, Birmingham, UK
2000 The Scapes: The Courtyard, Hereford, UK
1999 Flesh: Hereford College of Art and Design, UK
s e l e c t e d g r o u p e x h I b I t I o n s
2025 Painting the Poles, The Polar Museum, Cambridge
2025 Landscape, Reverie and Magic, SPACE pop-up gallery, London
2024 Contemporary British Painting Prize, Cardiff/London/Sheffield
2024 Derwent Drawing Prize, Oxo Gallery, London
2023 Sun and Moon, John Martin Gallery/Spirit Studios, Suffolk
2023 Hinterlands, John Martin Gallery, London
2022 A Generous Space 2, New Art Gallery, Walsall
2022 The 3am Project, virtual exhibition,
2019 The Affordable Art Fair, London
2018 The Columbia Threadneedle Prize: Mall Galleries, London, UK
2018 Summer Salon: Angus Hughes Gallery, London, UK
2017 The ING Discerning Eye: Mall Galleries, London, UK
2016 Glory of the Glacier: The Alpine Club, London, UK
2015 Summer Salon: Angus Hughes Gallery, London, UK
2012 Emerge Art Fair: Washington DC, USA
2011 Wildland, Silber Gallery, Baltimore, USA
2010 Travelogue: Carroll Square Gallery (Hemphill Gallery), Washington DC, USA
2009 Options: WPA & Conner Contemporary, Washington DC, USA
2008 Gilchrist-Fisher Landscape Painting Award: Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
2007 Bomberg’s Relevance: Ben Uri Gallery, London, UK
2007 Journey of Exchange: Oxford House, Bethnal Green, London, UK
2006 Winter Collection: Gallery Duncan Terrace, London, UK
2006 New Waves: Collyer Bristow Gallery, London, UK
2005 Mirage of Minds: Century Gallery, London, UK
2005 Mile of Art: London Fields, London, UK
2004 The Affordable Art Fair: New York, USA
2001 The Directors Choice: Collins and Hastie Gallery, London, UK
2001 London/New York Drawing Collaboration: Chateau Balleroy, Normandy, France
2001 New Bloomsbury’s 2001: Scarlet Maguire Gallery, London, UK
2001 Post-Graduate Show: Slade School of Fine Art, London, UK
2000 Winter Collection: Parkview Fine Art Galleries, Bristol, UK
1999 The Directors Cut: Parkview Fine Art Galleries, Bristol, UK
1999 Degree Show: University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK
p r I z e s , a w a r d s a n d s c h o l a r s h I p s
2024 Shortlisted Contemporary British Painting Prize
2024 Derwent Drawing Prize, 2nd Prize
2022 Culturebox commissioned artist
2019 Finalist in Jackson Art Prize UK
2008 Finalist in Gilchrist-Fisher Landscape Painting Prize, UK
2001 The Slade School of Fine Art Duveen Travel Scholarship
2001 The Princes Drawing School / Malcolm Forbes Foundation Travel Scholarship
2000 The Slade School of Fine Art Life Drawing Prize (judged by Paula Rego)
1999 The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers Award
1999 The Sir Ben Bowen Studio Prize for Fine Art
1998 The Contemporary Art Prize for Wales Studentship Award (judge Stephen Chambers)
r e s I d e n c I e s a n d e x p e d I t I o n s
2023 Artist in Residence Antarctica, Scott Polar Research Institute
2020 Solo expedition, Iceland
2011 Artist in Residence, Death Valley National Park, Nevada, USA
2011 Artist in Residence Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
2010 Solo expedition Alaska, USA
2009 Solo expedition Mojave Desert, USA
2008 Solo expedition Himalaya and Pamir Mountains, Ladakh, Kashmir
2007 Solo expedition Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Kyrgyzstan
2006 Solo expedition High Atlas Mountains, Morocco; and Tian Shan, Altai and Qilian Shan Mountains, China
2006 Solo expedition Jotunheimen National Park, Norway
2004 Solo expedition Pyrenees Mountains, France
2003 Solo expedition Apennine Mountains, Italy
2002 Solo expedition Himalaya Mountains and Tibetan Plateau, Nepal, China
2001-08 Solo expedition Snowdonia National Park, Wales
2001 Artist in Residence, Arkleside Studios, Yorkshire
2000 Solo expedition Andes Mountains and Altiplano, Bolivia
r e v I e w s , p u b l I c a t I o n s a n d. p r o f e s s i o n a l a p p o i n t m e n t s
2024 Guest Panelist Climate Climate Change and the Three Poles Royal Geographical Society
2024 Meet the Ice Queen Country Life Magazine
2024 Royal Navy News HMS Protector gives artist access to remote Antarctic landscapes
2024 The All Party Parliamentary Group for the Polar Regions
Antarctic Paintings – Polly Townsend: the Artist in Residence in Antarctica
2024 Interview :UK and Antarctica Heritage Trust
2024 Interview: Times Radio with Ed Vaizey
2023 Antarctic Times ' 30 ways to protect Antarctica'
2023 Polar Bytes, SPRI, 'Polly Townsend, Artist in Residence'
2022 Art in Embassies; Beijing, Catalogue
2022 Culture Box, Artist Spotlight: Polly Townsend
2022 Playjunkie: Polly Townsend’s Secluded Landscapes
2020 Jackson’s Art Blog: Polly Townsend: Painting the Brutality of the Land
2012 Washington Post, An exhibit that stretches a mountain’s range by Mark Jenkinson
2012 Washington City Paper, Polly Townsend at Flashpoint by Louis Jacobson
2011 Mumbai Embassy Publication, Permanent Collection of the Consulate General of the United States
2011 Catalogue, Wildland, by Laura Amussen
2011 Catalogue, The Artists of the Alpine Club, by Peter Mallelieu
2010 Washington Post, Wild Worldviews of Summer by Jessica Dawson
2009 Washington Post, Options 09: Unexpected Possibilities by Michael O’Sullivan
2009 The Georgetowner, Georgetown Answers Call for Artists
2009 Falls Church News, Options 09 by Kevin Mellema
2009 Catalogue, Options 09 by Anne Goodyear
2008 Artrabbit.com, Onwards and Upwards, Polly Townsend in High Places by Sarah Lightman
2008 The Alpine Club Journal, Polly Townsend in High Places by Steve Goodwin
2007 The Metro Newspaper Birmingham, Sixty second interview with Polly Townsend
2007 Wowbirmingham.co.uk, The Extremes of Art with Polly Townsend by Dave Freak
2007 Hereford Times, Three White Walls
2007 The Independent, Bomberg's Relevance, P Chapman
2007 Time Out, Bomberg's Relevance, JJ Charlesworth
p u b l I c c o l l e c t I o n s
U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Permanent collection, Department of State, USA
U.S. Embassy in Karachi, Permanent collection, Department of State, USA
U.S. Embassy in Mumbai, Permanent collection, Department of State, USA
National Parks Collection, USA
The Alpine Club Collection UK
The Ben Uri Collection UK