e d u c a t I o n
1999-01 MFA Slade School of Fine Art, London, UK
1996-99 BA Fine Art University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK (First Class Honours)
s o l o e x h I b I t I o n s
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
2022 (Forthcoming) A Wider Landscape, The Alpine Club, London
2022 (Forthcoming) Crossing Boundaries, APT Gallery, London
2019 The Affordable art Fair, London, UK
2018 The Columbia Threadneedle Prize: Mall Galleries, 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, UK
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
2019 Finalist in Jackson Painting Prize, UK
2009 Options, WPA (juried exhibition - judged by Anne Goodyear, National Portrait Gallery, DC)
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 (judged by 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
2022 (Forthcoming) Artist in Residence Antarctica
2011 Artist in Residence Goldwell Museum, Death Valley National Park, Nevada, USA
2011 Artist in Residence Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
2010 Alaska, USA
2009 Mojave Desert, USA
2008 Himalaya and Pamir Mountains, Ladakh, Kashmir
2007 Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Kyrgyzstan
2006 High Atlas Mountains, Morocco; and Tian Shan, Altai and Qilian Shan Mountains, Western China
2006 Jotunheimen National Park, Norway
2004 Pyrenees Mountains, France
2003 Apennine Mountains, Italy
2002 Himalaya Mountains and Tibetan Plateau, Nepal, China
2001-08 Snowdonia National Park, Wales
2001 Artist in Residence, Arkleside Studios, Yorkshire
2000 Andes Mountains and Altiplano, Bolivia
r e v I e w s a n d p u b l I c a t I o n s (read here)
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