1944 – 2018
Tim Townsley began his career in Los Angeles where he was born and raised. He received his BA in Art from Cal State L.A. and held a Masters of Fine Art from Otis Art Institute. Townsley taught mural painting through the UCLA Extension program and for eight years taught figure drawing, color theory, and painting at Cal Arts (California Institute of the Arts).
Townsley gained extensive experience in the entertainment industry painting both matte paintings and backings for motion pictures. He also painted murals in prominent theme parks and for McClaren’s Home for Children for which he received a commendation from the L. A. County Supervisors. More mural commissions followed in venues such as Las Vegas and the Queen Mary in Long Beach. He has continued to paint murals for retail stores and has been commissioned by UC Riverside for its C-Cert Bldg. and by UCLA for its Friends of Jazz program.
Townsley lives and works at his home/studio in the Cove area of Cathedral City. He has exhibited at major art venues throughout California and had been represented by the JNA Gallery (Bergamot Station, Santa Monica) and the Stephen Archdeacon Gallery (Palm Springs) until both closed in early 2014. He currently is represented by Coda Gallery in Palm Desert.
In 2013, he was awarded the Free Spirit Prize by the Artists’ Council (Palm Springs Art Museum); ArtLA featured his work on its magazine cover, after which he was chosen as one of the 100 Best Artists in California; and he exhibited on an electronic billboard on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.
In 2014, his work was exhibited in the Cathedral City City Hall; he had 2 pieces in the ‘Let’s Face It’ exhibit at UCR Palm Desert; and once again, a piece was chosen for the Los Angeles Art Association ‘Out There’ group show and they also selected a piece for its “Open Show.”
In 2015, he had an exhibit entitled: “Philosophical Investigations” at UCR Palm Desert, and his “Circles” exhibit was shown at the 29 Palms Art Gallery. He had pieces in two Artists’ Council exhibits: Archangel Gallery and the Palm Springs Art Museum, for which he was awarded the Preston Ormsbly Award for Painting. Townsley also returned to the UCR Palm Desert campus with his solo “Jazz Standards” exhibit.
In 2016, Pepperdine University exhibited “Philosophical Investigations;” he was the featured artist in the Cathedral City Artists Home Tour; had an opening at Coda Gallery in Palm Desert; was commissioned to create a piece to honor Barbara & Jerry Keller’s support of opera by OperaArts; exhibited in ‘Alimento’ at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles; exhibited in ‘Animal Magnetism’ at UCR, PD; was awarded the Community Award for Excellence by the Artists Council (P.S. Art Museum.
In 2017, will participate in the Cathedral City Artists Home Tour; has been commissioned to paint two fallen soldiers by the City of Riverside, to hang in the Council Chambers; will exhibit at the Riverside Art Museum.