PROVIDENCE, R.I. – May 6 – The material world is more than just atoms; it is shaped by the space between them. In the same way, time and its perceived effects are not fixed, but continually changing. These ideas set the stage for Angell Street Galleries’ new exhibition, “Gestures of Spirit.” At the heart of the show is the airy, earthy sculptural work of URI’s Jon Laustsen.
Laustsen, who teaches three-dimensional design and drawing, works across sculpture and installation. His art is oriented toward hands-on building processes that blend qualities of artifacts with abstract ideas. He finds meaning in relationships between disparate ideas, making objects that suggest a process of being. The pieces in the gallery use materials like clay mixed with sand and straw, bamboo, concrete, and a sense of intuition.
Angell Street Galleries, led by URI instructor Richard Goulis, is part of 501 (c) (3) Galleries and focuses on being open, accessible, and community-driven. Anyone can enter a lottery for a chance to show their work. The gallery supports artists of all ages, from college students to people over 80. “Gestures of Spirit” offers a flowing experience, with several solo shows happening together in one exhibition. The show includes work by nine artists, featuring sculpture, ceramics, and both acrylic and oil paintings.
“Traditional art spaces can sometimes feel exclusive and inaccessible, and this gallery actively breaks that barrier,” said Laustsen.
Before Laustsen starts making art, his ideas develop in relation to literature, film, and philosophy, inspired by figures like American poet Adrienne Rich, Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli, and American philosopher Alva Noë. His process values discovery, being curious about mistakes, and developing new approaches. He remembers a key moment from college—a drawing exercise—that still shapes how he approaches art today.
The assignment involved drawing without looking closely at the paper and filling in tones at random. This process changed how Laustsen thought about art—from representing objects to leaving the marks of how we perceive and respond. He realized the goal was to track how the eye moves, not just simulate what it sees. For him, art is deeply involved in the process, not just the final image. Laustsen believes there is no real distinction between abstract and representational art. Jackson Pollock, for instance, engaged the composition of his canvases just as intentionally as Winslow Homer.
The sculptures in “Gestures of Spirit” explore inside versus outside, structure versus surface, and raw versus changed materials. Laustsen says his materials are not just used to create symbolic sculptures; they play an active role in the meaning. Good art makes us think, and Laustsen’s work does just that. It invites people to engage, reflect, and explore.
“A finished piece of artwork is a snapshot of an ongoing exploration,” he said.
Laustsen has received numerous fellowships from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, and recently won a Juror’s Choice Award at the 2024 National Prize Show hosted by the Cambridge Arts Association. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Rhode Island and nationally, including OVERLAP, the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology at Brown University, The Soap Factory (Minneapolis), and AS220. Laustsen was a studio resident at the Vermont Studio Center and received his MFA in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design. To see more of Jon’s work, visit www.jonlaustsen.com/.
Laustsen will also be participating in the “Artists Speak Series” held at the gallery on Saturday, May 16 (4:30 – 6:00pm).
Gestures of Spirit, Featuring Richard Fishman and J. Laustsen
April 18, 2026 – May 30, 2026
Wednesday through Friday, 1:00 – 6:00 p
Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 – 5:00 p
Closed Monday and Tuesday