Natural Wonders: The Art of Salley Mavor

July 21 – December 19, 2027

Natural Wonders: The Art of Salley Mavor brings together the remarkable breadth of Salley Mavor’s artistic life, from rarely seen early works to selections from her children’s books and signature pieces spanning more than five decades. At its center are the four seasonal landscapes – Frosty Morning, Mossy Glen, Harvest Time, and Summertime – a celebration of nature, imagination, and the passage of time. Together, these works reveal the continuity of Mavor’s distinctive practice, in which a single stitch can become a blade of grass, a tiny figure can suggest an entire story, and humble materials are transformed through imagination, patience and superb craftsmanship. Her miniature worlds reward close looking. They invite us to discover the wonder held within the smallest details.

A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration, Mavor developed her distinctive approach to three-dimensional “fabric relief” in the 1970s. Since then, she has created intricate figures and landscapes with needle, thread, fabric, beads, and found materials, occupying a unique space between sculpture, embroidery, illustration, and storytelling.

Her acclaimed children’s books include Pocketful of Posies, recipient of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for illustration. Her work has been exhibited widely in museums and galleries, establishing her as a singular artist whose hand-stitched worlds continue to inspire curiosity, delight, and a profound appreciation for the natural world.