May Shorten Townley is a mixed-medium and ceramic artist from Spotsylvania Virginia. A self-taught artist for the bulk of her career, Townley entered college after raising a family. Townley received her Bachelor of Liberal Studies Degree in Studio Art from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2017.

Townley’s work was early on exhibited regionally at The Fairfax, Virginia Courthouse and at the privately owned Courthouse Gallery, also in Fairfax. Local group exhibitions include, but are not limited to the Morin Gallery in Orange, Virginia, the Purcell Gallery and the Muse Gallery, both in Louisa, Virginia. In Fredericksburg, Virginia, her work has been exhibited at the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, Artful Dimensions, Bellawood Studio, Mary Washington’s DuPont Gallery, Gallery VC, The Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, Libertytown Arts Center and The Fredericksburg Museum. Townley was Fredericksburg’s First Friday Featured Artist at Goldbender’s and also the Virginia Wine Experience in 2012, while solo exhibitions include several at The Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Studio A. Gallery in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and The Muse Gallery in Louisa, Virginia. Her work was chosen as part of two national exhibitions: Unique Viewpoints and Dimensional Expressions, where her piece “F Sharp” garnered third place in 2018.

Additionally, Townley was awarded Third Place and Honorable Mentions in both the Uniquely Fredericksburg and Uniquely Spotsylvania Exhibitions of 2010 and 2013. Townley’s work is part of the permanent collection of Germanna Community College, where during undergraduate studies she was honored with the title: Art Student of the Year. Townley is the recipient of the prestigious 2016-2017 Nina Bushnell art scholarship through the University of Mary Washington. Townley was, at graduation, honored in 2017 by the University of Mary Washington’s Alumni Association with the Bachelor of Liberal Studies Distinguished Graduate Award, and through the University of Mary Washington Arts Department, the Award of Excellence.

Ms. Townley works daily in her home studio, regularly sells and exhibits her work at the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the Arts Center in Orange, Virginia, the Arts Center in Louisa, the Arthouse, also in Louisa, Virginia, local outdoor venues and to private collectors.