Tip Toland was born outside of Philadelphia and now lives in Vaughn, Washington. She received her MFA from Montana State University in 1981. In 1986 she received a visual arts Fellowship grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. She was awarded firstplace in 2005 for the Virginia Groot Foundation grant. Tip is a full-time studio artist and a part-time instructor in the Seattle area. In addition, she conducts workshops across the United States. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally. She is currently represented through Barry Friedman Gallery LTD. Her work is represented in both private and public collections, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian, Kohler Art Center, and as a promised gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.