ABOUT KATIE

Katie Pumphrey (b.1987) is an American interdisciplinary artist and ultramarathon open water swimmer. Pulling from her experiences in the water, her paintings, sculptures, and installations use abstraction and imagery to investigate our anxieties, fears, and how our imagination plays tricks on us. Incorporating a bit of humor, Pumphrey explores these tensions and the connectedness between human instincts and play. She has a Bachelors of Fine Art in Painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her works have been exhibited in galleries across the United States, including solo exhibitions in Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Key West.

On June 25th, 2024, Katie Pumphrey became the first person to complete the Bay to Baltimore swim, a 24 mile swim from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Other notable swims include the English Channel (2015, 2022), around the island of Manhattan (2017), and the Catalina Channel (2018, 2024)— those three swims make up the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. Pumphrey was the 194th person (73rd woman) in the world to achieve that honor. Her work is deeply connected to this aspect of her life. Pumphrey lives and works in Baltimore, MD.

CV

b. 1987

EDUCATION

2009 BFA— Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

2008 MICA Honors Program— Studio Arts Centers International, Florence, Italy

SOLO + TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2025 Upcoming— (solo exhibition), Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD

2024 Freestyle (two person exhibition), Kohl Gallery, Chestertown, MD

2023 Monsters Below, solo exhibition, Washington Studio School, Washington, DC,

2021 Night Swim, solo exhibition, Project 1628, Baltimore, MD

2020 Scribble Scrabbles, solo exhibition, Washington Studio School,Washington, DC

2019  Merry-go-round, solo exhibition, Sense Gallery, Washington, DC

2018  Five More Minutes (Part I), Solo Exhibition, Susan Calloway Fine Arts, Washington, DC

Five More Minutes (Part II), Solo Exhibition, Athenaeum Gallery, Alexandria, VA

Over Under, Solo Exhibition, Harrison Gallery, Key West, FL

2017  Rearranging Rooms, Solo Exhibition, Project 1628, Baltimore, MD

2016  Heavyweight, Solo Exhibition, Susan Calloway Fine Arts, Washington, DC

2015  Weighted Game, Solo Exhibition, Gallery@Casewerks, Baltimore, MD

2014  Fight or Flight: Katie Pumphrey + Alessandra Torres, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024 Sondheim Semifinalist Exhibition, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

2023 Shared Endeavor, Vermont Studio Center x Washington Studio School, DC

2022 Poolside, Jag Gallery, Key West, FL

2020 Turning Blue, Latela Curatorial, Washington, DC

By The People x Monochrome Collective Art Fair, Washington, DC

2020 Print Releases Davis Editions

Covid-19 Art Fair, Latela Curatorial, Washington, DC

2019 Tiny Show, Hen House, Washington, DC

Truth Lies Beyond, Foley Gallery, New York, NY

Bold, Amalie Rothschild Gallery, Baltimore, MD

By The People x Monochrome Collective Art Fair, Washington, DC

Drawn, Washington Studio School, Washington, DC

Oz, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD

2018  Off the Web, The Peale Center, Baltimore, MD

Perspectives, Amalie Rothschild Gallery, Baltimore, MD

Heritage:Now, DC Arts Center, Washington, DC

The Factory, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD

Abreast of the Times, Harrison Gallery, Key West, FL

2017  Wet, Strathmore, Bethesda, MD

Faculty Exhibition, Washington Studio School, Washington DC

Radius 250, Artspace Richmond, Richmond, VA

Disco Nights, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD

Language of Material, Harrison Gallery, Key West, FL

Process & Practice, DC Arts Center, Washington, DC

2016 Faculty Exhibition, Washington Studio School, Washington, DC

All American House, Carroll Mansion at Carroll Museums, Baltimore, MD

The Critiqued, Otis Street Arts Project, Mount Rainier, MD

All Grown Up, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD

All That Art, Chaney Gallery at Maryland Hall, Annapolis, MD

Resident Reunion, Creative Alliance, Baltimore MD

2015  Faculty Exhibition, Washington Studio School, Washington, DC

On the Hunt, Creative Alliance, Baltimore MD

2014  Memory: Captured Moments, Gallery@Casewerks, Baltimore, MD

NYC vs. Baltimore, Gallery 788, Baltimore, MD

Road to Rio, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD

10+1, Gallery 788, Baltimore, MD

Bang-Bang, Amalie Rothschild Gallery, Baltimore, MD

2013  Introductions, Pinebox Art Center, Baltimore, MD

Kiss Me Deadly, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD

Galaxy Cream, Amalie Rothschild Gallery, Baltimore, MD

AWARDS & ARTIST RESIDENCIES

2024 Semifinalist, Sondheim Art Prize

2018 Artist-in-Residence, Baltimore Water Taxi (Baltimore, MD)

2017 Artist-in-Residence, Studios of Key West (Key West, FL)

2011-14 Artist-in-Residence, Creative Alliance (Baltimore, MD)

2012 Artist-in-Residence, Vermont Studio Center, Artist Award (Johnson VT)

2009-11 Artist-in-Residence & Co-curator, Gallery Four (Baltimore, MD)

REVIEWS

2023 Washington Post, In the Galleries

2020 Washington City Paper, City Lights: Unwind with U Hall TV or See Scribbles Scrabbles

Washington City Paper, How Apartment Buildings Can Become Showcases for Artists in D.C.

2018 City Biz List, 100K Apartments Highlights Work of Five Artists in Elegant Building and New Park

East City Art, New Residential Building in NoMa Neighborhood Incorporates Works of Local & National Artists

Washington Post, In the Galleries

Washington Post, 5 Under-the-Radar Art Exhibitions to Visit this Summer

2016 Washington Post, In the Galleries

Georgetowner, Book Hill Galleries Open for Spring Art Walk 

Baltimore Sun, All American House at Carroll Mansion

Washington Post, In the Galleries

East City Art, The Critiqued at Otis Street Arts Project

2014 Bmoreart.com, We Saw This, So Should you: Fight or Flight at the CA

FEATURES

2022 Baltimore Magazine, Local Artist Katie Pumphrey Just Swam the English Channel- Again

KonkLife, Katie Pumphrey’s English Channel Swim

2021 BmoreArt, ArtAND: Katie Pumphrey

Shoutout LA, Meet Katie Pumphrey | Artist and Open Water Swimmer

Highlandtown Arts District, Artist Profile: Katie Pumphrey

CBS Baltimore, Baltimore’s Katie Pumphrey Becomes 73rd Woman In History To Complete The Triple Crown Of Open Water Swimming

Baltimore Sun, Reader’s Choice 2021: People & Media

2019 Tafmag, Chronic: Painting

2017  Florida Weekly, Katie Pumphrey: Painting for her life

Rare, Inside the warehouse where the Women’s March prepares for their moment on the streets

2015  Washington Post, Baltimore Artist completes English Channel swim in 14 hours 19 minutes

Jolyn Clothing Blog, Motivational Mondays: Katie Pumphrey

Tim Corbin Films, About Living

DC Curbed, Washington DC Design House Showcase

Home and Design, Show House Magic

2014  Washington Post, Across the Potomac, and onto the Channel

Washington Post, Fibromyalgia Sufferer takes on her Pain, Training to Swim English Channel

2013  whatweekly.com, Building Alliances