Hugh Townley
What Remains: In Closing
June 15 – October 30, 2026 | BigTown Gallery
BigTown Gallery is proud to present What Remains: In Closing, the final exhibition of the work of Hugh Townley, marking both the conclusion of the estate’s stewardship and a significant chapter in the gallery’s history.
In the weeks following the gallery’s opening, it quickly became a gathering place for artists across the region. Among the earliest to visit were Hugh Townley—recently relocated from Rhode Island after a distinguished tenure at Brown University—and his longtime colleague Nancy Taplin of Waitsfield. Townley’s arrival marked a formative moment. He immediately recognized the gallery’s vision and offered steadfast support, drawing on his deep knowledge of Vermont’s artistic community to help broaden its reach and foster enduring connections. “It always felt like we were friends first,” the director recalls, capturing the spirit of collaboration that would shape the gallery’s identity.
Hugh Townley (1923–2008) sustained a prolific career as a sculptor and printmaker for more than five decades, teaching and making art from 1952 until his death. Born in Lafayette, Indiana, and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, his early life included military service in Europe during World War II, followed by studies at the University of Wisconsin and in Paris with Ossip Zadkine. These formative experiences, along with subsequent work in postwar Europe, informed a practice that was both materially rigorous and expansively imaginative. By 1955, his work was featured in the Museum of Modern Art’s Penthouse Gallery as part of its New Talent series, establishing his reputation as a distinctly original voice in American sculpture.
Working primarily in wood—ranging from mahogany and maple to oak and plywood—Townley created intricate reliefs and freestanding sculptures composed of interlocking, bandsawn forms. The grain of the wood, the rhythm of the saw, and the material’s natural variations were integral to his compositions. His evolving use of color, particularly in later works, introduced a vivid, playful dimension, while his recurring visual language drew on nature, Native American cultural traditions, and Eastern spiritual thought. Whether in monumental outdoor concrete works or small, intimate constructions, his sculpture maintained a balance of formal intelligence and inventive wit.
Townley’s career was marked by extensive teaching and exhibition. He held academic positions at institutions including Beloit College, Boston University, Harvard University, and Brown University, where he was named Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 1989. He went on to produce a significant body of work in Vermont, where he lived with his wife, the artist and writer Mary Ross Townley. Over his lifetime, he presented more than fifty solo exhibitions and participated in nearly one hundred group shows, receiving numerous honors, including the Rhode Island Governor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts. His work is held in major museum collections across the United States, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
What Remains: In Closing brings together the breadth of Townley’s work while honoring the relationships and shared commitments that defined the gallery’s history. His presence was foundational—not only in shaping its early trajectory but in modeling a spirit of generosity and collaboration that endured. This exhibition stands as both a celebration of an independent and deeply personal artistic vision and a reflection on community, continuity, and the passage of time.