Laura White Carpenter

A metal sculpture resembling a human torso, made from layered, shiny, irregularly shaped metal pieces, placed on a wooden surface against a brown background.
White ceramic or plaster sculpture resembling an overflowing basket of pita bread or tortillas on a wooden surface.
Decorative ceramic vase with the word 'love' repeatedly printed in black, featuring a heart-shaped handle, placed on a concrete surface against a brick wall.
Three yellow chairs arranged in front of a white wall with abstract paintings, and a blue sofa on the right side of the image.
An abstract painting with yellow, purple, pink, and blue brushstrokes hanging above a blue couch with a decorative pillow featuring green and black leaf patterns.

I am a Providence-based multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersection of the natural and man-made worlds. My practice spans ceramics, welding, sculpture, painting, and photography, often utilizing repurposed materials to challenge my creative process and environmental impact. My work has been featured in both national and international juried exhibitions.

In my professional life, I am an occupational therapist and art therapist. My clinical practice informs my artistic identity. I believe deeply in the transformative power of the arts to assist patients in navigating their individual healing journeys, a conviction I support through my ongoing research and committee leadership.

Having lived and volunteered across four continents—from the vibrant, painted surfaces of Bhutan to the patterned mud architecture of northern Ghana—my work is heavily influenced by the "cultural weight" of objects. I am fascinated by the universal human need to use decorative marks to assign significance to our surroundings.

Witnessing the creative repurposing of "cast-off" items abroad, combined with my alarm regarding climate change and its disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, has turned sustainability into a core tenet of my studio. I actively embrace the challenge of working with reclaimed materials, using the act of reduction to propel my art in new, exciting directions.

 Selected Awards and Juried Exhibitions

  • ​Juror - "8th Annual Poetry & Art Exhibit", Wickford Art Association

  • International Press - camaguebaxcuba.wordpress.com    www.radionuevitas.icrt.cu   http://primiciadiario.com

  • Local Press Feature - The Steel Yard - Artist Residency - Alumni: Laura White Carpenter

  • Second Place - Wickford Art Association, Juried exhibit

  • Juror’s Award - Wickford Art Association, Juried exhibit

  • Invitational 3-person exhibition in multiple cities in Cuba

  • Juror - "Higher Art" , Attleboro Arts Museum, Sculpture installation exhibit 

  • Public Art Exhibit - Ninigret Park, Charlestown RI, One year outdoor exhibit in a natural setting 

  • Wickford Art Festival,  Juried fine art festival

  • Providence Art Club, Providence RI—Open Call, National juried competition

  • Third Place - Wickford Art Association, Juried Art Exhibit

  • Finalist- Ceramics "Artist in Residence" at The Steel Yard, Providence

  • Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac AZ, Juried National Exhibit "Earth" - sold work

  • Second Place, Sculpture - Plymouth Center for the Arts,  Juried National Exhibit 

  • Solo showroom exhibition - Decor Boston, artist/interior decor collaboration ​

  • Wickford Art Festival, Juried fine art festival

  • Best in Show - Art League of Rhode Island, Associate Members Exhibit

  • Second Place - Wickford Art Association,  Juried Exhibit

  • Invitational Exhibition - Wickford Art Association, Juried Artist Members

  • Two-person Exhibit - "Metamorphoses", Fine Art Pop-up in Providence RI

  • Brownsville Museum of Art,  Juried International Exhibit, accepted all 3 entries: painting, ceramic sculpture, and mixed media sculpture

  • Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland OR, National Juried Exhibition

  • Impasto Gallery, Boulder CO,- National Juried Exhibition

  • Cape Cod Museum of Fine Art,  National Juried Exhibition

  • Honorable Mentions (2), Sculpture, Plymouth Center for the Arts, Juried National Exhibition 

  • www.golocalprov.com/ Live TV interview on August 4

  • Wickford Art Festival,  Juried fine art festival

  • Finalist, Attleboro Arts Museum, “8 Visions” exhibitor – National, competitive, juried exhibition of 8 artists

  • Solo Exhibit - Attleboro Arts Museum Community Gallery

  • Two-person Exhibit - Sculpture displayed on artifacts made by Silver Hippopotamus, Coastal Living Gallery 

  • Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland OR – National juried exhibition

  • Second Place - Wickford Art Association, Juried Exhibit

  • Curator - “Portraits of Hope Healing and Community”, Butler Hospital

  • Providence Art Club, Providence RI—“Color!”, National juried competition

  • Sacred and Liturgical Arts Exhibit, Springfield IL – National juried exhibition

  • Plymouth Center for the Arts, Fine Art of Photography,  International juried exhibition

  • Wickford Art Festival, Juried fine art festival

  • South County Art Association, S. Kingston RI – Invitational group show

  • First Place -South County Art Association, Juried exhibit

  • Juror’s Award - Wickford Art Association, Juried exhibit

  • Juror's Award - Attleboro Arts Museum, Member’s Exhibit 

  • Curator, Butler Hospital Staff Art Show

  • Semi-finalist, Attleboro Arts Museum, “8 Visions” exhibitor – National, competitive, juried exhibition of 8 artists

  • First Place -South County Art Association,  Member’s Show 

  • First Place, Associate Members - Art League of Rhode Island, Member’s Small Works Exhibit 

  • Second Place - Mad Dog Artist Studios, Juried exhibit 

  • Blick Art Materials Award - Attleboro Arts Museum, Member’s exhibit 

  • Invitational Exhibition- Fine Furniture Show, Pawtucket RI, Juried Fine Crafts


Professional Affiliations:

  • Art League of Rhode Island, Associate Artist Member

  • Attleboro Arts Museum, Artist Member​

  • Col-lab, Represented Artist

  • ​Collette Royer Consulting, Represented Artist

  • Plymouth Center for the Arts, Artist Member

  • South County Art Association, Artist Member

  • Wickford Art Association,  Juried Artist Member

A woman with curly red hair wearing a green shirt and colorful feather earrings, smiling and seated on a black leather couch with green plants in the background.