(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Gallery491 presents What Remains from June 25 through August 28, 2026. This is a new exhibition featuring the work of Mary Marino – a multimedia artist who finds beauty, wit, and resilience in the things the world throws away.
Come experience a body of work that transforms cast-off jeans, vintage remnants, and garments once destined for landfills into vibrant, storytelling art. Quilt-like wall hangings, wearable sculpture, furniture, and jewelry – all of it alive with color, texture, and unmistakable personality.
"If these discarded textiles could speak they would create a diverse discourse : instead the observer creates their own narrative."
Mary is a fiber artist and former fashion industry veteran whose long career gave her a front-row view of the environmental toll of fast fashion. Rather than turn away, she turned it into a practice. Guided by a deep commitment to sustainability, she stitches and embroiders forgotten textiles – discarded denim, deadstock cotton, vintage scraps – into works of enduring value and genuine joy.
Her pieces pulse with bold color and language. Phrases and images drawn from culture, travel, family, animals, and spirituality weave through the work like conversation, making each piece a kind of living document. Her New Jersey denim collage is a love letter in patchwork: Bon Jovi and the Sopranos and Taylor Ham and "Fuggedaboutit," all stitched together with the same care and craft as her wearable Oracle jackets – patchwork coats assembled from dozens of discarded fabrics, hand-quilted in the Japanese kantha tradition.
Each new piece adds a chapter to an ever-evolving collection.
There will be an Opening Reception on Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. Come meet Mary, see the work up close, and maybe take a little piece of the story home. Gallery 491 is located at 491 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey.
Vault491, located in the heart of Montclair's award-winning downtown at 491 Bloomfield Avenue, is an innovative adaptive reuse of a historic 92-year-old bank building. Surrounded by over 90 restaurants, various shops, and several renowned art venues, Vault491 is in Montclair's central business district.
Gallery491 is a contemporary art space in Montclair, NJ, dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging and established artists. Gallery491 is open Monday through Friday, 7:00am – 7:00pm.
