Susan first came to RI in 1983 to work in the glass studio of Steven Weinberg. She worked in his studio until 1985 when she left for a short time to live in North Haven Maine. She returned to RI and where she has remained to this day.
Susan received her BFA in Light metals from the University of Illinois in 1980. Post graduation she worked for Richard Ritter, a glass artist residing in Bakersville, NC. In 1982 she attended Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia as a non degree Graduate student in glass and worked as a studio monitor. After moving to RI and working in the Weinberg Glass studio she then worked in the jewelry industry for 16 years as a model maker, as a visiting artist at Charles Fortes Elementary school from 2001-2005, worked in the woodshop of Bill Crozier in 2001, and as a teaching assistant in the carpentry shop at the RI Detention Facility from 2004-2006. Susan was a founding member of AS220 in 1985 and was employed as a property manager there from 2004-2020. She currently is employed as the Director of Facilities at Farm Fresh RI. Throughout this time Susan has maintained a studio practice creating works of art in various mediums. She is also a member of the Gillen Street Ensemble, an improvisational music project where she plays bass guitar.
Northern Burning Bear 2022
Paper mache, paper, wood, fur (Mixed media) 17″x15″
Artist Statement
Susan Clausen is a multidisciplinary and mixed media artist. Her artwork has typically involved things that move, works that invite interaction and play. She feels that touching an artwork engages people on a whole other level by inviting interplay not normally experienced when viewing artwork. She maintains a live/work studio in what was once the Abruzzi Molise Civic Association in the North End of Providence with her husband, Umberto Crenca.
Additional Info
Artist Instagram: @clausen.susan
Part of Growing the NetWorks
This artist was selected by a past NetWorks Rhode Island participant as part of Growing the NetWorks — a 2025 exhibition presented by WaterFire Providence, at the WaterFire Arts Center, celebrating peer-nominated artists from across Rhode Island. Learn more at waterfire.org/growingthenetworks
Highlighting the work of selected artists who have played vital roles in shaping the contemporary visual arts community in Rhode Island. This collection of brief video portraits provides a window into the lives, practices, and cultural contributions of professional artists.
